When Good Meets Evil
by Leighana.Bri
Summary: Hermione is kidnapped by Death Eaters and given a choice- help them, or face the consequences. When she returns to Hogwarts she has a mission from Voldermort, and Draco Malfoy is her partner in crime. But are they really helping Good, Evil, or each other?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Fact 1:** Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling

** Fact 2:** I am not her.

** Conclusion:** It isn't mine.

**A/N:** This is my first attempt at fanfiction. It will ultimately be a DM/HG story, there will be both some action and some romance but it will be at least _mostly _realistic. Meaning- they aren't going to hop into bed together right off the bat. It may get smutty at times, it may not- but I will warn you before hand if that is the case. I am open to any suggestions and constructive criticism, but if you are just going to be mean- please spare me. For now I am going to rate this **T**, but I reserve the right to change it if I feel like it needs to be changed. If you read this, please review... let me know if its good, bad, or terrible. Thanks!!

--

_Finally,_ I thought as I walked out of Potions class. It was my last class of the day... at last, the weekend was here and I could relax a little bit. It was only a few weeks into the school year, and I was already incredibly stressed. It seemed that our course load had doubled for our sixth year,

"Hey, Hermione! Wait up!" I didn't have to turn around to know who was calling after me. I recognized Ron's voice immediately and slowed down so he could catch up to me.

"Blimey, you walk fast." Ron said, clearly out of breath.

"Sorry, Ron... in a hurry I guess."

"Going to the library? Great, cause I really need your help with our Transfiguration homework. My teacup keeps turning into fuzzy rat instead of a rabbit."

_Perfect!_ All I really wanted to do was take a nap. I had been thinking about it all afternoon, fantasizing really. I was going to go up to my room, tell anyone who asked that I had at terrible headache, get into my pajamas and sleep for as long as I wanted. I wouldn't worry about missing supper, or doing homework, or studying. All of that could wait until tomorrow. Maybe even tomorrow night. Today, all I was thinking about was sleep. But, now that Ron's breathing had returned to a regular pattern he looked so desperate for my help. And, I knew how much trouble he had been having with Transfiguration this term. It was my opinion that the trouble wasn't so much him, as it was his old wand... but I didn't dare mention it. Ron was self conscious enough about all of his hand-me-downs, and I knew the Weasleys just couldn't afford a new wand.

"Actually, Ron, I was just heading up to my room, for a nap." I paused, wondering if I should admit the real reason or give him my headache excuse. I looked up at him and my gaze was met with a look of shock and confusion.

"A nap? But Hermione, we have homework."

"Yes, I know that Ronald... but, I ... I've had a terrible headache all day and I think a nap is the only way to get rid of it." I looked at him earnestly, mentally begging him to just leave it at that and let me go upstairs. I was really so tired.

"Yeah, okay. I'll just ask... Harry for help or something. Thanks anyway."

He looked so dejected that I almost called after him to come back, but just as he rounded the corner that lead towards the library rather than upstairs to the common room, I heard a loud bang and the corridor was suddenly filled with a thick, black smoke. Instinctively, I reached into my robes for my wand, and started feeling my way around. I had been standing pretty near the stair case, so there should be a bathroom around me somewhere, if I could just get in there away from the smoke long enough to stop coughing, then maybe...

Before I could finish my thought, I felt myself being lifted roughly off the ground, and thrown over what I assumed was someone's shoulder. I kicked and flailed my arms with as much strength as I had, but whoever was holding me was much stronger than me, and didn't even seem to notice I was moving at all. I tried to scream, but the smoke seemed to be getting thicker and I could hardly even breath.

Everything was suddenly very loud. I could hear other people coughing around me. I could also vaguely hear voices, but how could people be talking through all this smoke, I wondered.

Suddenly, I was slung off of the man's shoulder and sat on the ground so quickly that my legs almost collapsed underneath me. Instinctively, I started reaching around me, and tried to run, but rough hands grabbed me and pulled me backwards, swiftly tying my hands together. A blindfold was also placed around my eyes, which seemed quite pointless to me- I couldn't see as it was. Then, I was being led away quickly. I couldn't tell which direction we were going, but sooner than I would have expected, I could tell we were completely out of the smoke. I took a few deep breaths and was preparing myself to scream when I felt my mouth snap shut.

_Damn it, _I thought, _a gagging charm. What in the hell is going on here? Hogwarts is supposed to be the safest place in London. Wait.. where is Dumbledore? _

For the first time, true panic started sinking in. Something very bad was going on here and I didn't even have the luxury of knowing who had me, where they were taking me or _why me _in the first place. Sure, I had found myself in dangerous situations before... but it had never been about me, it had always been about Harry. I was just always there. But this time... Harry wasn't anywhere around, was he? No, he couldn't have been. He had quidditch practice right after potions class, so he wasn't even in the castle. So why was this happening?

The person that was dragging me along started slowing there pace until soon we had stopped completely. I could tell there were several other people there with us, and judging from the sounds of shoes scuffing on the floor, and what sounded like attempts at screaming, I wasn't the only hostage. I could also hear hurried whispering. Whoever these people were, they were looking for something, something important.

"Here it is."

And then, I was being yanked away, roughly and quickly, by a sensation that seemed to be coming from behind my navel.

_Portkey, of course. _

I landed in a pile of other people, and wasn't even given the chance to pick myself up off the floor. I was yanked up by a pair of rough hands.

"Walk forward" a cool, strong voice instructed me, guiding me with a firm hand on the small of my back. I did as I was told, hoping against hope that wherever I was gave points for good behavior.

We walked like that for several minutes, and from the steady drop in temperature I deducted that we must have been moving further underground.

The hand that had been on my back, grabbed around my waist, forcing me to stop so quickly that I almost toppled over. As I regained my balance, I heard a heavy door close shut and a quick _click _of a lock.

To my surprise, my hands were released and the blindfold was dropped. I reached quickly into my robes for my wand, but came up empty. _Oh God, where is it? I must have dropped it, _I realized, my heart sinking.

For the first time, I looked up and around at the room I was in. It was a small, dark chamber, with no windows. The only light was coming from the red glow of a few large candles. The walls were lined with several heavy, metal doors, but they were all closed. I looked up to see the people who had brought me hear, but the people standing in the room with me were not who I expected to see.

There were only two other people in the room with me, both students at Hogwarts. One of them was a tall, pretty girl with chestnut hair. I didn't know her well, but I recognized her as Clara Epperson, a very intelligent seventh year Ravenclaw. She was looking around much the same as I was, and the look on her face was one of sheer panic. Standing on the other side of Clara, was one of my fellow Gryffindor. A seventh year named Pierce Madison. Pierce usually kept to myself, but I remembered him because everyone had been surprised when he hadn't been Head boy this year.

But where had our kidnappers gone? They had to have disappeared in just a few seconds, but I didn't remember hearing anyone apparate.

Suddenly, four of the heavy doors swung open at the same time, and out stepped four men. The first two I didn't recognize, but from the menacing looks on their faces, I knew they weren't people I wanted to get to know. I gaze shifted to the third man, and my heart sank even further. Had there been any doubt in my mind that I was definitely in trouble, it all vanished as soon as my eyes fell on the pale, snarling face of Lucious Malfoy. I looked to Lucious's left and my breath caught in my throat. Standing there beside his father, was Draco Malfoy. I hated Draco with every ounce of my being, but for some reason seeing him standing there with his father... with Death Eaters... surprised me.

"Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in." It was Lucious who spoke first, and hearing his cool, steely voice cut through the thick silence I had become used to startled me, causing me to jump slightly.

"Scared, mudblood? I don't blame you. The Dark Lord doesn't take kindly to _your _kind."

I flinched at the words, the dark lord, as it confirmed what I had already known- I had been brought here for Voldermort, for whatever reason.

"Funny thing. I don't think I've ever seen you out without _Potter_. Must feel awfully... _vulnerable_... being here without the boy who lived."

Lucious stared at me for a moment, as if waiting for me to speak, but I couldn't imagine what I would say. I just wished he would get whatever this was over with.

After a minute, he took his eyes off of me and glanced briefly at Clara and Pierce before talking again.

"You three have been brought before us because you are the most clever of the students at Hogwarts... apart from the Slytherins, of course. The Dark Lord has plans for Hogwarts that cannot be carried out by his loyal Slytherins alone, and you three have been selected to help. Should you choose not to help, you will... reach a _different _fate. Should you agree to help, and then go running to your coward leader, Dumbledore, we will know and you will be dealt with. Do I make myself clear?"

Swallowing hard, I nodded, not entirely sure what I was agreeing to. My mind was racing, trying desperately to figure something out. How long had I been gone? Surely long enough for someone to notice that I was missing, But, damn it, I told Ron I was going to take a nap... so anyone that asked where I was would be told I was in my room. Still, someone had to have seen the smoke, or smelled it. There is just _no way_ Death Eaters had managed to break into Hogwarts, kidnap three students, and get out undetected. It just wasn't possible, was it?

But, until I would figure out any genius plans, I just stood there nodding, hoping it would at least buy me a few more minutes alive to think.

"I'm sure you all know my son, Draco. I have brought him here to help me determine which of you are truly willing to help, and which of you are wasting our time."

I looked at Draco, expecting to see his trademark smirk playing across his lips. Instead, he looked slightly bored and almost... apologetic? Embarrassed, maybe? Whatever it was, he obviously didn't like being here much more than I did.

"Step, forward."

At Lucious's instruction, we all looked at each other nervously, and then took a few steps forward. Suddenly, I found myself standing face to face with Lucious Malfoy, as Clara and Pierce were standing just as close to the two other Death Eaters. I could hear Clara sobbing, and mentally begged here to stop. I knew they wouldn't tolerate her crying long, and besides that, I was afraid that if she kept crying it wouldn't be long before I joined her.

I bit down on my bottom lip, willing myself not to cry, and looked up to stare Lucious Malfoy right in the eye. He stared back at me, and opened his mouth to speak, but before he could get a word out there was a loud snapping sound and a high pitched scream that caused my heart to start beating wildly. I looked to my left to see Clara lying on the cold, stone floor, bleeding from the head. The tall man was leaning over here, smirking, with a long black cane in his hand.

I had forgotten that Draco was even there, but as his father was turned towards Clara, I heard him whispered two simple words in my ear.

"Lie, Granger"

--

The room I was sitting in was considerably smaller than the first room, but it was still remarkably similar- cold, dark, and creepy. I was sitting directly across from Lucious Malfoy who was snarling at me and keeping his cool, grey eyes on me all the time.

"There are two kinds of people in this world, Granger. People who follow the boy who _lived, _and people who follow The Dark Lord. Losers, and winners. You are being offered a very rare opportunity- one that is made even more rare by your being a... _mudblood." _He practically spat the last word at me, and I felt my chin raise a fraction of an inch in response. I was desperately trying to keep myself calm, and was refusing to let him see me crumble. Not only because of my pride, but because I had seen what happened to Clara when she fell apart. I also kept running Draco's words over and over again in my mind. He had told me to lie. Did he mean to lie to his father? Was he trying to help me... why would he do that? Under normal circumstances, Draco Malfoy would be the last person I would listen to, but I kept remembering the look I had seen on his face when he had first walked in. It wasn't the look of a boy following in his father's foot steps- it wasn't the look of a young man aspiring to be a Death Eater. It, more than anything, was the look of a boy who regretted being where he was and wished, more than anything, he could just say so.

I mentally chastised myself for allowing my imagine to run away again. Making excuses for Malfoy? Trying to turn him into the victim, what was I thinking?

I was pulled away from my thoughts, quickly, though, to hear Lucious talking to me again.

"Your choice, mudblood. Can you do what we ask of you, or are you simply to weak to break away from your wonder boy?"

_Lie, Granger. _Not only did I have to lie, but I had to lie well.

I closed my eyes tight, and willed myself to have the strength to be convincing and get myself out of here. They said they had plans for Hogwarts, and if I could just get back there I could figure out something. They couldn't keep me away from Harry... not without blowing their cover, for whatever kind of plans they had. I would fix this _somehow _if I could just get out of here.

I opened my eyes and lifted my head so that I was looking him right in the eye. I was pleased with myself for being able to keep my breath regular and my hands steady. I hoped he would take that as a sign of my confidence...of my being sure of my answer.

"I am ready for a change." I stated it firmly, somehow keeping my voice from wavering.

He looked at me with a smirk on his face, one that I quickly matched. We sat there for a few minutes looking at one another, and I knew he was waiting for me to show some sign of weakness- some sign that I was scared, or lying. Whatever it was that he was looking for, he wasn't going to find it, not now that I had come this far.

"Very well, then. We will just have to see what my son has to say about that."

Lucious stood and knocked once on the closed door. Draco must have been standing just outside, because he quickly walked in and looked up at his dad.

"Yes, father?" He said quietly, and I was surprised to note that the usual tone of arrogance was missing from his voice.

"This girl says she is willing to help us with our efforts. Do you find her to be trustworthy, or is she, weak like the other two were?"

When I heard him say those words, my breath caught in my throat. What did he mean... had Clara and Pierce been harmed? I suddenly felt sick to my stomach at the thought, and looked up at Draco with a look of pleading in my eyes.

He looked at me briefly before answering.

"You can trust her father. She will help me, I am sure of it."

I hadn't noticed that I had been holding my breath until I allowed myself to breathe after hearing his answer. He was saving me. I didn't know what had made him do it... but he had to know I would never help his Death Eater father or Voldermort with anything... right?


	2. Chapter 2

_**Fact 1: **Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling._

_**Fact 2: **I am not her. _

_**Conclusion: **It isn't mine._

_I would like to thank those of you that reviewed or added me to your alerts/favorites lists. Really- THANK YOU! Also, I would like to apologize in advance for any grammatical/spelling/word usage errors. I have read it, re-read it, and tried to proofread, but it's difficult for me to find mistakes in my own work sometimes. I'm not a complete idiot though, I promise!_

* * *

When I finally drifted off to sleep, I still didn't get much rest. My dreams were haunted by visions of the dark chamber, Lucious Malfoy's face, and the sounds of Clara's screams. After waking up crying and gasping for breath the fourth time, I gave up on sleep and got into the shower.

As the hot water poured over me, I tried to sort out my thoughts. I still wasn't entirely sure what I had gotten myself into by falsely agreeing to "switch sides". I never even heard the big plan that I was supposedly now a part of. I also wasn't sure what had happened to Clara and Pierce. Truthfully, that was one question I would be okay never knowing the answer too. All I knew was that when Draco and I were sent back to Hogwarts last night, we had been the only ones. I vaguely remembered asking him what happened to the other two, but he pretended not to hear me and mumbled something about missing supper. I took that as a sign that I didn't want to know.

Despite how calm I had managed to stay during my encounter with Lucious and the other Death Eaters, once it was behind me and I was back at the castle, I couldn't stop myself from shaking and tears started pouring down my face faster than I could wipe them away. I had eventually given up and slid myself down the wall outside the second floor girl's bathroom and curled myself into a ball in the floor. Logically, I knew that I just needed to get myself to the Gryffindor common room and into my bedroom before someone found me, but I just didn't have the mental or physical strength to get up and move. It was late- probably after midnight, so the halls and corridors of the large castle were empty and hollow. For the first time since I had started to Hogwarts over six years ago, I felt terrified.

I sat there for several minutes, hugging my legs to my chest, rocking back and forth. I had actually forgotten Malfoy was even there until I felt a hand rest gently on my shoulder.

I looked up timidly, worried about what I was going to say if it wasn't Malfoy- but a professor, or another student who had found me.

"Granger, it's going to be alright." His voice sounded annoyed, but the expression on his face was soft, and earnest.

I could hear what he was saying, but the words had no effect on me. My mind was trying too hard to process everything that had happened, and why Draco Malfoy was bent down in the floor, staring at me with his piercing gray eyes, telling me that I was going to be okay.

"They aren't going to come back for you, okay?"

I nodded slightly, and started trying to pull myself up off the floor. Malfoy stepped back to give me room, and I was oddly relieved that he didn't offer to help me up. It offered me at least a little proof that he really was Draco Malfoy.

When I had finally made it up to the common room, and then into my bed I had been so relieved to finally get the sleep I had been so looking forward to before this day went terribly wrong. And yet, here I was, barely after sunrise, taking a shower hours before I actually had to get up.

At least today was a Saturday, and I didn't have to worry about classes. And, Gryffindor was playing Ravenclaw in Quidditch today, so for a few hours I would mainly have the place to myself.

Still, I needed to talk to Malfoy- soon. There were so many questions I had, so many things I needed explained, and as much as I hated to admit it, he was really my only hope for answers.

After I got out of the shower, I got dressed in jeans and a simple long sleeved shirt, and went down to the library. What I was planning to do could have easily been done in my room, or the common room, but I didn't want to run the risk of being disturbed, and early on a Saturday morning the library was easily the best place to be alone.

I walked to one of the back tables, "my" table as I liked to think of it. I sat in my favorite chair, and pulled out a quill and a piece of parchment. I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to say, I just needed to talk to him. After starting and scratching it out a few times, I finally wrote:

Can we talk? I'll be in the library during Quidditch. -HG

I folded the parchment up, stuck it and my quill in my pocket and hurried out of the library and towards the owlery. I chose a plain, brown owl, one that I hoped would go unnoticed amongst all the others at breakfast. Before tying my parchment to its leg, I unfolded it and quickly scribbled one last word at the end: please.

As I headed out of the owlery, I could hear students talking in the corridors. I glanced at my watch and saw that it was time for breakfast. My stomach was growling, but the thought of sitting there with Harry, Ron, and my other classmates trying to make small talk and keep myself from bursting out in tears at any moment was too terrifying to even consider going down to the dining hall.

So, instead, I headed to the girls bathroom and hid in a stall until I thought it was safe to go back to the common room. I tried to focus on my Herbology paper, and then on my astronomy homework, but I couldn't concentrate. No matter how I looked at it, I had gotten myself into an impossible situation. I would lose either way.

After an hour or so, students started slowly trickling into the common room, talking amongst one another, so I got up quietly and went up to my bedroom. I knew my friends would be wondering where I was, but I just couldn't bare to face them yet- not until after I talked to Malfoy, anyway.

I was lying across my bed, mentally going over transfiguration spells in my head to keep other thoughts out when the door swung open and Ginny walked in.

"There you are! Hermione, Harry and Ron are going crazy wondering where you are. They've come up with all these crazy things that could have happened to you.. sleep walked into the forbidden forest, eaten by a mutant spider - that one was Ron's idea of course." Ginny shook her head and laughed at their stupid ideas, but their crazy theories only reminded me of what really had happened to me and I felt my chest start to constrict.

Ginny's care-free expression changed quickly when she saw the look on my face. Her brow furrowed, and worry crossed her face as she walked across the room and sat at the edge of my bed.

"Hermione, are you okay?"

"Yeah, Gin. I'm okay. Just haven't been feeling so great. I had a headache all day yesterday, and today I'm just feeling kind of nauseous." I hoped that Ron would remember me mentioning my headache yesterday and that it would make my story more believable.

"You want to go to the hospital wing... you don't look so great... no offense."

I tried to smile, but even I could tell that it was a weak attempt and probably not very convincing.

"I'll be fine. Just need to rest, I think. You guys have fun at the game today, though, and tell the boys good luck for me, okay?"

Ginny reluctantly got off the bed, and wished for me to "feel better" before closing the door behind her.

It wasn't hard to tell when it was getting close to time for the game to start, because the noise level in the common room went up at first, and then it became almost completely silent.

I breathed a sigh of relief, and started making my way towards to library. I really hoped that Malfoy would be there, but I didn't have my hopes up very high. I hadn't been at breakfast, so I couldn't even be sure that he had gotten my note. Plus, he was Draco Malfoy after all. Why would he want to meet with a mudblood like me? But, when I walked into the library, there he sat... at my table.

I pulled the chair across from his out from the table, and he looked up at me slowly as I sat down. We sat there for a few minutes, just looking at each other. Despite the number of times Malfoy and I had faced each other in the past, the number of times we had spat insults or threatened each other with one hex or another, it suddenly struck me that this was the first time he had really looked at me. He was looking at me like I was a person... like I was someone actually worth his time.

Malfoy sighed loudly and opened his mouth to talk, but no words actually came out. I knew I should have been the one to say something... this little meeting was my idea. ... but I just didn't know where to start.

"I know you are probably confused."

I looked up from the table expectantly, only to see him looking at me with the same expression. I nodded slowly, and bit my lip hoping this conversation would consist of more than us confirming that I was confused.

"Okay, Granger, look... " he paused for a minute, like he was looking for the right words, and looked down at his hands.

"I don't really know how to do this. I know you probably hate me, and you have no reason to believe me, but I really am sorry that you got pulled into this. It's my fight and I should be strong enough to fight it alone. I don't know how much, my father told you about all of this, but..."

He lowered his eyes back to the table and shook his head slightly. I could tell how hard this was for him.

"They didn't tell me anything. Not really. Just that there is some plan, and that Slytherins couldn't do it, or couldn't do it alone, or... something. I guess I wasn't paying much attention."

"Paying attention? Hell, Granger... I had you picked to be the first to fall apart. I never thought that a mud- that you would be the one to make it out of there unharmed."

I flinched at the reminder that I was the only one to make it out alive, and he apparently noticed.

"I hate what happened to those two as much as I do."

Draco Malfoy hated that two of his inferiors were killed? Doubtful. I looked at him skeptically, almost daring him to pretend he actually cared. Suddenly it seemed completely absurd that I was here with him in the first place. Why would I expect Malfoy to help me get out of this? Was it not his father who had put me in this position in the first place... and wasn't Draco simply Lucious in younger form?

After a few minutes of silence, I was startled out of my thoughts by Draco slamming his hands down on the table. In the silent library, the noise was deafening. I gasped, and jumped in my seat, looking at him with my mouth open.

"God, Granger... will you just listen to me before you decide I'm lying? I know I've been terrible to you, and to everyone else... and, I'm not making excuses, but you have to understand. When you are raised a certain way and have these beliefs and thoughts pounded into your head from the time you are a baby, it's hard to see things any other way. I don't want to be like my Father. God, that's the last thing I want- killing students and threatening the life of anyone who crosses my path? I would rather die first. But up until now, I haven't felt like I had any option other than playing along for a while."

"Why now?"

"What?" he almost spat the word at me, and I could tell by his tone that he was getting frustrated.

"You said up until now. Why are things different now? And what does any of this have to do with me?"

Draco looked at me for a minute, like he was searching for something on my face... or in my eyes that would give him the answer to my question. As anxious as I was for his reply, the pensive look on his face kept me from urging him to answer. Then, his brow furrowed and the expression on his face became one of pure determination. I could tell that whatever it was he was wondering about, he had made up his mind.

"I guess you deserve to know the whole story now, you won't bloody well do me any good if you don't know what you are doing, no matter how smart you are." With that comment, he smirked at me, but all of the hostility in his voice was gone.

"Lord Voldermort has formed a plan to take over the wizarding world for good. He has thought for some time that the only way to truly rule is for him to influence the teachings of the young witches and wizards. He has attempted to simply put his followers in teaching positions at various schools, but no matter how influencial, one teacher can only do so much towards changing the beliefs of an entire school of students. Ideally, he would take over a school completely. Hogwarts was always his first choice, his only choice really, but he couldn't come here, or wouldn't because of Dumbledore- the only thing stopping him from walking through the doors of this castle at any given moment. The answer seemed simple enough, but who would possibly be strong enough to get rid of Professor Albus Dumbledore? If Lord Voldermort himself can't kill him... then who? And then it struck him, who better to take him down that one of his own loyal subjects. An inside job."

Draco paused for a moment, looking at me sadly before continuing.

"Of course, my father was quick to offer me to do it... but that wouldn't do. Dumbledore has been watching me for years. Expecting me to pull something like this at the demand of my Death Eater father. But, if a student from another house was to help me... he would never suspect. You were perfect... a Gryffindor at the top of her class, best friends with the Golden Boy, far from being pure blood, why would you ever help the Dark Lord?"

I suddenly felt very weak, like the breath had been knocked out of me or I had lost a lot of blood.

"Because I was too scared to say no."

How could I have been so stupid? I walked right into their trap... I lied to Lucious Malfoy, because his son told me to. I trusted Malfoy when he told me they weren't coming back for me... I even requested that he meet me here today, thinking maybe he might help. And here he was, telling me all about my new role in the assassination of the one person who was keeping Lord Voldermort from taking over Hogwarts- the one place I actually felt safe. He actually expected me to help him.

"Oh God... what have I done? I think I'm going to be sick."

I laid my head down on the hard, cool surface of the table and tried to slow my breathing down to a normal rate. This can't be happening. No... please, no.

"Hermione, look at me." His was voice was firm, and commanding, but I still couldn't bring myself to lift my head off the table. To my surprise, I didn't have to- Draco reached across the table and lifted my chin off the table with one of his pale hands.

"This is not your fault, and I'm going to get us out of this. Or maybe I'll get myself killed trying, but I will not be my father's pawn in another of his deadly games. Not when the stakes are this high."

"Why should I trust you?" The words came out angrier than I had intended, but something told me we were way past hurting each other's feelings.

"I'm your only chance... and I think maybe you are mine."


	3. Chapter 3

**Fact 1: **Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling.

**Fact 2: **I am not her.

**Conclusion: **It isn't mine.

Before going our separate ways, Malfoy and I agreed that we should meet once a week to talk. His said his dad always owled him on Wednesday morning, so by meeting every Wednesday night he could keep me updated on anything his dad said, and by keeping a standing "appointment" we wouldn't have to run the risk of being caught sending notes or talking to each other.

Sure, it made sense logically, but the real reason I was so willing to meet with Draco Malfoy on a weekly basis was because I thought I might go crazy if I didn't have anyone to talk to, and I wasn't sure that I was ready to talk to anyone else about what had happened. It didn't even make sense in my own head yet, so I knew trying to explain it would be pretty useless. I wasn't sure how I was going to make it from week to week, though. As pathetic as it was, I didn't know how I would respond if something happened to remind me of what had happened, or if someone asked the wrong question. I had always prided myself in being independent and strong, but lately I had been feeling more like glass - waiting to break at any moment.

Gryffindor had beat Ravenclaw in Quidditch, but just barely. Harry narrowly beat out their seeker in the chase for the snitch, and once again... he was everyone's hero. Luckily for me, the victory party in the common room, and Harry and Ron's excitement made it easy for me to slip off to bed after a quick "Congratulations" without sparking a bunch of questions.

Still, I couldn't avoid them forever. Sunday morning I woke up and for a few minutes I couldn't place what the strange feeling in the pit of my stomach was or what was causing the heavy sense of dread hanging over my head. To my surprise, I had slept most of the night, and the sounds and images that had haunted my dreams the night before had left me alone. My confusion didn't last quite long enough, though, because soon all the memories of the past couple of days flooded in all at once and I was filled with so many emotions that I suddenly felt like I was going to be sick. And then I remembered something.

Malfoy had promised me that he was going to get us out of this, and for whatever reason, I believed him.

Of all the terrible things that had happened- being kidnapped by Death Eaters, knowing two of my classmates had been killed, making a deal with the devil- quite literally, having someone else on my side, even if it was Malfoy, seemed to be the only bright spot.

I made my way down to the dining hall and was surprised to see Harry and Ron were already there eating. They usually slept in on the weekends, and when they didn't we all walked down together.

"Hey guys!" I said, waving at them, trying to put as much enthusiasm in my voice as I could muster.

"I hear I missed a great game yesterday."

Quidditch was usually guaranteed to get them talking, but they both just sat there looking at me strangely, Ron with a mouthful of food.

"Its okay, Hermione. We were, umm... kind of worried about you though, right Ron?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, worried. Seemed like we didn't see you for days, 'Mione."

I smiled apologetically, and mentally coached myself on not acting nervous. _Keep it simple Hermione, don't give out too information.. you'll make them suspicious. _

"Wasn't feeling well... some virus, I guess. Seems to have passed, but now I have all my homework and studying that I should have already been working on." I groaned as I sat down and started loading my plate up with sausages, eggs, bacon, and biscuits. It seemed like it had been forever since I had eaten, and suddenly I felt starved.

After breakfast, we spent most of the day in the common room studying. Not surprisingly, Harry and Ron hadn't spent any more time on their home work than I had. I was glad we had school work as a distraction, because it gave me the opportunity to spend time with them without actually having to talk about anything.

"Damn it!"

"Ronald... must you curse so much? That is pretty much all you've said all day."

"Well, _excuse _me, Hermione, but if you would just help me with it like I asked you to, you wouldn't have to listen to me."

I sighed heavily with exasperation, and quickly weighed the benefits of not having to listen to Ron moan and complain for another hour against how important I thought it was for him to do it himself.

Eventually, my annoyed side won.

"Your potion turned hot pink because you didn't heat the Wignam root before mixing it in. It grew hair because you forgot to stir it counter clock wise for the first sixty stirs. Honestly, Ron, it's really quite simple if you just read the instructions."

"The first sixty stirs? Oh right... _quite simple_."

Harry snickered at out banter, but as usual- he didn't comment. Instead, he just groaned and glared at me.

"I can't believe you talked us into skipping lunch to do homework, Hermione. I'm starved."

I smirked at him, but I was actually looking forward to supper, too. Earlier, all the food I had eaten for breakfast seemed like enough to last for days, but now my stomach was starting to turn hungrily. I looked down at my watch for probably the hundredth time, and smiled at Harry.

"Well, come on then, let's go!"

--

It seemed that Harry, Ron, and I weren't the only ones who were hungry. We got to the dining hall just at time to eat, but it was already pretty full. As we all sat down, food didn't appear in front of us as it usually did. I started to ask someone what was going on but quickly realized that no one had any more idea than I did. All around me were murmurs and whispers, all asking basically the same question.

After a few minutes, there was a loud clinking sound and we all looked up to see Dumbledore waiting for us to settle down.

"What's going on?" I whispered anxiously to Harry.

Dumbledore only made speeches when there was actually something to speak _about._ He wasn't one to delay food unless there was a reason, and that made me nervous.

"Students, it is with deep regret that I am making this announcement to you all tonight. Two of Hogwarts best, brightest, and most respected students have been discovered dead. Clara Epperson and Pierce Madison were found deep in the forbidden forest this evening. I know this must come as a great shock to all of you, as it was to myself. As we mourn the loss of these two young people, it is important that we don't lose sight of... "

Dumbledore's voice continued to echo through the dining hall, people continued to gasp and sob. There was still whispering going on all around me, but all I could hear was Clara screaming over and over again in my mind as a black cane came down over her at the hand of a Death Eater. Over and over...

I closed my eyes tightly, trying to stop the floor from spinning beneath me- trying desperately to ease the splintering pain that was ripping through my chest.

I looked down and saw that I was gripping the table so tightly my knuckles had turned white, and forced myself to look back up. Was Dumbledore still talking? I couldn't tell anymore. All I could hear was static... static and Clara's screams.

My eyes grazed over the other tables and landed on the grey colored eyes that were looking back at me from the Slytherin table.

Before I could even think about what I was doing, I jumped up from my seat and ran out of the dining hall. I wanted to keep running until I ran out of breath completely... until I couldn't possibly take one more breath and would have no choice but to die and escape all of this completely. But half way up the stairs I tripped over my own feet and landed huddled up on a step, shaking uncontrollably and trying desperately to reign my thoughts in. Why did I feel so incredibly guilty? I hadn't asked for all of this any more than Clara or Pierce did, and it wasn't my fault that I had managed to live when they didn't. In all honesty- chances were, I wouldn't be alive much longer anyway. My life was hinging completely on my ability to keep my cool and do what I had promised I would, and I was already proving that keeping my cool wasn't going to be easy for me.

I stopped breathing completely when I felt someone sit down beside me. _Of course, _I thought, _did you really think no one would notice that exit of yours? _

But the voice I heard wasn't the one I was expecting.

"Granger, are you okay?"

If Draco Malfoy following me had surprised me, it was nothing compared to how I felt when I heard the softness in his voice. He sounded like he really cared whether I was okay or not, and when I looked up at him, something about the intense look on his face made me want to tell him the truth.

Despite my unexpected resolve to be honest with him and tell him that I was actually very _far _from okay, I suddenly felt too exhausted to figure the words out, so I simply shook my head slowly, never taking my eyes off of him.

"I know you aren't okay. But... well, we can talk about it... if you want to."

I could tell that this was completely out of his comfort zone, and I felt touched at his effort to make this simple human interaction with me... something that would have seemed perfectly natural coming from someone else, seemed almost epic coming from Draco Malfoy, and I found myself feeling like it would be a shame to waste this moment.

I nodded at him, and lifted myself up off the step.

I don't know what exactly Malfoy had requested of the Room of Requirement, but the atmosphere itself made me feel a little more calm. The walls were draped with deep gold colored fabric, and the entire floor of plush, dark blue carpet was almost covered with deep, fluffy pillows. In the very center of the room, there was a round, brick fireplace with a glowing fire at the center off it, giving the room a warm glow.

Draco walked a couple of paces ahead of me and sat down near the fireplace. I followed, and seated myself across from him, keeping a couple of pillows space between us.

I looked up at him and smiled before I started talking, hoping that he would somehow understand how much I appreciated all of this.

"I'm just so scared. I know I'm supposed to be brave or something, but... maybe I was sorted into the wrong house, or maybe I'm just getting weaker... but I just want to cry all the time. I feel confused because I still don't even understand what I've agreed to, much less how to get out of it. And I just feel so _guilty_. Clara and Pierce are dead. They're _dead_, Draco. And maybe if I had said something, or done something, or... talked to them somehow. I don't know, I just feel... I feel so _awful" _

I never realized it was possible to feel so much better and so much worse at the same time. Just saying all of these things out loud made my heart feel like it was breaking, but it also felt like a huge weight had just been lifted off my shoulders. I bit my bottom lip, trying desperately to stop myself from crying again, and waited for him to reply... hoping that maybe _somehow _he had come up with an amazing plan and could wipe all my fears away.

"I know you are scared. Hell, I'm scared and its my own dad we are dealing with here. But, you have to understand that there is _nothing _you could have done to save them. Even had they agreed to help, I doubt they would have let them out of there alive, anyway. They only needed one of you and you were the one they wanted all along."

He must have noticed the grimace that flashed across my face, because he stopped talking. Before I knew what was happening, he moved the pillows out of the way and closed the distance between us so that we were barely sitting a foot apart. Moving slowly, timidly, he brought his hand to my face and lifted my chin up so that my eyes were level with his.

I instantly felt my shoulders relax and my breathing calm. I didn't think about Voldermort, or hearing Clara scream. I didn't think about homework or Harry and Ron. Suddenly, I felt like I had been freezing and someone had turned the heater up, or like I had been in intense pain and didn't even realize it until it was relieved.

I took a deep breath, trying to clear my head and at the same moment, Draco moved his hand and leaned back away from me.

"We should probably go. People will be wondering where you are."

I smiled weakly, remembering my dramatic exit from the dining hall.

"No one will notice, except Harry and Ron. They will just assume I forgot about a paper I had to write or something."

"Never the less," he replied with a smirk "you can't stay here all night."

My stubborn instincts kicked in at hearing the word can't, and I raised my eyebrow at him.

"And why can't I?"

I looked at him expectantly, waiting for his comeback, but he just laughed and shook his head at me.

I had been kidding at first, but now that I thought about it... staying here sounded like a great idea. Just being in this room made me feel better, no one would be able to find me, and maybe I would sleep better in here.

"I'm serious. Can't I stay... just tonight?"

He opened his mouth to say something, and I could tell from the look on his face that it was going to be some variety of "no", so I hurried on before he could say it.

"Please... it won't hurt anything, and no one even has to know. I just...I haven't been sleeping very well. Every little noise makes me jump, and I feel better here... happier, almost."

"Jesus, Granger... I don't know why you think you have to ask my permission. It's not like _I_ sleep here. I just don't think its a very good idea, but if it means that much to you- I'll leave you to it."

He stood up to go, but he seemed frustrated - angry almost- and I couldn't figure out why. It shouldn't matter to him where I sleep, right? Unless... but no, surely Draco Malfoy wasn't sleeping in the room of requirement.

"Draco, wait!" I called after him just before he got to the door.

"What is it, Granger?"

"You can stay if you want." My words came out quietly and for a minute I was afraid he hadn't even heard me.

Then, he spun around quickly to face me, and I could see the look of confusion on his face from across the room.

"I mean... its a big room, right? And, I think that maybe..." I bit my lip, not quite believing what I was about to say, " maybe I would sleep better if someone else was here." I was barely talking in a whisper, and his features softened at my words.

"Sure, Granger. I'll stay if you want." He walked slowly back toward the center of room, sighing heavily, and positioned himself back on the floor.

Even though he was acting as if he was only agreeing to stay for my sake, I could tell he was relieved. Apparently I wasn't the only one that felt more comfortable in here.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Fact 1: **__Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling._

_**Fact 2: **__I am not her. _

_**Conclusion: **__It isn't mine. _

**_A/N-- _I know its been a while since I updated. I've had writer's block and couldn't get this to come out the way I wanted it to. I am already almost finished with the next chapter, though... so it should be up soon. Thanks for reading, and reviews are always appreciated!! **

* * *

_Stupid, Stupid, Stupid! I don't know how I tricked myself into thinking we were somehow friends now... I must be losing my mind. _

I was pacing back and forth in front my bed, trying to stop the tears from falling down my face. A nasty comment from Malfoy should _not _make me feel this way... end of story. Still, I couldn't forget the feeling of lead dropping into my stomach when the world "Mudblood" came out of his snarling mouth.

Sure, we had managed to have a few civil conversations with one another, and he had helped prevent his Death Eater father from killing me. That didn't make us friends. Obviously. There had been once... that night in the room of requirement that he had felt like my friend, much more like a friend than anyone, even Harry and Ron, had lately. Just knowing he was there, in the same room as me, made me feel safe somehow- comfortable. I felt like he was the one person who could protect me, who _would _protect me.

But after that he had gone back to pretending I didn't even exist- except for last Wednesday night when he met with me just long enough to tell me that everything was fine and that there was no news from his father. Then he turned on his heel and walked out, leaving me desperately wishing he would turn back and make me believe that everything really _would_ be okay instead of leaving me with empty words.

Anything that had existed between us was gone, and I was nothing to him but blank space. It shouldn't have hurt so badly, but it did. It left me with a hollowness that I had never felt before. I tried to reason with myself and say that he couldn't exactly be friendly to me, not with everyone around, and at least he wasn't been mean. He wasn't making snide remarks, or commenting on my bloodline. That was something.

Until today...

I shuddered, and squeezed my eyes shut. This was silly. Why did I even care? I looked at my watch and saw that it was almost time to go down to the meet Harry and Ron in the dining hall. I had promised myself I was going to get some homework done before supper, but that hadn't happened. For the first time in my life, I was behind in my studies. I knew I should have felt panicky about it, but for some reason I couldn't manage to feel anything. My thoughts were always somewhere else, a few floors down and several corridors over- somewhere in the Slytherin common room, to be exact.

--

"Hey guys!" Ginny Weasley greeted her brother and friends, her usual smile lighting up her face.

"Hermione not with you, Gin?" Ron asked as he had Harry looked up expectantly.

Ginny frowned softly, not looking forward to the reaction she knew was coming when she told them that no, Hermione wasn't with her and wasn't coming down at all. Hermione had been so distant lately. She tried to make conversation, but there was no energy in her words, no expression behind her eyes. It was like someone had taken the real Hermione and just left an empty shell behind.

Harry didn't want to say anything, and Ron masked his concern with aggravation- snapping at Hermione at every chance he got. Ginny had tried to talk to her. She had tried to ask what was going on, but Hermione refused to even discuss the possibility of something being wrong. She just brushed Ginny's concerns off, claimed she was tired, and quickly changed the subject.

"No, she... umm...she said she has a lot of homework to do and wasn't hungry anyway."

Ginny looked away, but she couldn't miss the looks of disappointment that crossed the boys faces.

--

I knew I shouldn't be making a habit of skipping meals, but it was becoming so easy to do. Not only did I avoid having to make casual conversation, but I also got some time completely to myself since everyone else was in the dining hall.

I stretched my arms up above my head, and started packing my books into my bag. I hadn't gotten much accomplished, but at least I had answered my Potions questions and written the introduction to my Muggle Studies paper. Better than nothing.

It wasn't quite time to meet Malfoy in the room of requirement, but I had noticed that he was usually early and for some reason it irked me not being the first one there. As I made my way down the corridor towards mysterious room, I argued internally with myself over whether I should confront Malfoy about the way he had spoken to me earlier. I knew I would feel silly bringing it up, but I also knew I wouldn't be able to get past it unless I said something.

As I reached the area of the hallway that I was looking for, I smiled to myself because there was no door there... I was first.

I paced in front of the wall, thinking "I need a place where Malfoy and I can meet. A place that only he and I can find." over and over until a small, simple door appeared in front of me.

I walked across the room I had become very used to in the past couple of weeks. Malfoy and I had only met here a few times, but I had made quite a habit of just coming and sitting in the pillow covered floor... trying my best not to think.

I sat on a large teal colored cushion and stretched my legs out in front of me, relishing in the comfort I always found in this strange place. I rested my head back on the wall and closed my eyes, waiting on Malfoy.

I didn't realize I had fallen asleep until I felt someone shaking me awake. I opened my eyes with a start and sat up to see deep grey eyes looking back at me.

"Oh God, Malfoy. You scared me." I stammered, surprising myself at how hard I was breathing.

"Sorry. I didn't want to wake you, but.."

He seemed embarrassed somehow, not an expression I was used to seeing Malfoy wear.

"I have something I need to say to you, and then you can go back to sleep. Okay?"

My heart sank straight into my stomach and my breath caught in my throat. This was it... I had known it was coming but I had still been harboring the pointless hope that it never would. His dad had sent him some kind of information... instructions for us probably, and I still didn't have any idea as to how I was going to go through with this whole thing.

"So... what is it? What do we have to do?"

Confusion crossed his face and he tilted his head slightly before he sat down across from me.

"What are you talking about Granger? Are you getting enough sleep? Because you look pretty tired lately, and I haven't been seeing you at meals. You should real-"

"Ohh no you don't. Don't avoid the subject by pretending you are concerned about me." My voice came out angrier than I had meant for it too, and he responded to the harsh tone, his face instantly hardening.

"Change the subject? But I'm not even sure what the subject is." His voice had an edge to it that hadn't been there before.

"Well, you said you had something important to tell me, but when I asked what it was we are supposed to be doing... what our instructions are, you act all weird."

"Granger... I haven't the slightest idea what you mean by 'instructions'. I simply wanted to apologize to you, but you are making it even more difficult that I expected."

"Apologize? But, I thought your dad..."

"Oh, I see. Yes, my dad did owl me today, but it was nothing of consequence. As usual, he asked how you and I are getting along and said to make sure we are ready when the time comes."

I breathed a sigh of relief... that was what all of the letters had said so far, and as nerve wracking as the waiting game was, I knew it was better than the alternative.

"But that isn't the real reason I need to talk to you. It occurred to me recently that I was putting us both in danger by not acting normally towards you in public. As far as everyone else is concerned, it has to appear that there is absolutely nothing different between us. So, that is why I've been acting like such a jerk towards you. That is why I called you _that _this morning. I wish I hadn't have. I wish I had at least explained it to you before I decided to be a total ass, but I rarely have the foresight to think about how the things I say and do might effect someone else, and this was no exception."

He paused for a second, and studied my face. I could only hope that I didn't look as completely bewildered as I felt. Was Draco Malfoy actually apologizing to me? Apologizing for the behavior I had become so accustomed to over the past several years?

"As soon as I saw the look on your face today I knew... I realized that you didn't, that you couldn't possibly understand why I was doing it. I wanted to apologize to you then, but ... well, obviously, I couldn't. So, I am now. I'm sorry."

Yep, that was definitely an apology. I should say something... I should definitely say something. He's waiting and that was probably really hard for him.

"It's okay. I understand... now that you've explained. Thanks for apologizing, though. It means a lot to me" My voice was so low by the time I finished talking that I could barely hear myself, but the look on his face told me that he had heard every word.

We sat there for a few minutes, both looking at nothing. It once again dawned on me how oddly comforted I felt sitting there with him, and as soon as the feeling of comfort and warmth washed over me, I wish I didn't have the leave. Knowing it would only get harder the longer I sat there, I sighed heavily and started preparing myself to stand up and trudge back up to my room where I would undoubtedly toss and turn for hours before slipping into a restless sleep.

"You know... I haven't really been sleeping well lately."

Was he reading my mind? Could he possibly be having as much trouble sleeping as me?

"Me either. You were right earlier... what you said about sleep. I know I look awful, but I feel worse."

"Maybe we should... never mind."

"No, what? Maybe we should what?"

"Maybe we should just sleep here. I mean, you looked awfully comfortable when I walked in, and.."

"I would like that." I cut him off, smiling at him- the first real smile to cross my face in what felt like forever.

--

_Two Weeks Later_

"What kind of question is that? I refuse to answer."

"You can't _refuse _to answer."

"I most certainly can. Ask something else!"

"Nope, sorry... can't do it. Who will it be, Harry or Ron?"

I narrowed me eyes and bit my lip in frustration. I should have known this wasn't a good idea.

"Fine... what do you mean, Harry or Ron? In what context?"

"Jesus, Granger. Why do you have to make things so complicated? It's a simple question... you have to choose one. Will it be The Boy Wonder, or his freak-show side kick?"

I raised my eyebrow and scowled at the mocking expression on his face.

"I make things complicated? What about you, Malfoy? I thought we agreed we were going to try not to ridicule one another's friends."

"Fine. Sorry, but you still haven't answered my question. Are you so in love with them both that it's impossible to choose? If that is the case, simply tell me, I wouldn't want to cause you such pain." The smirk I had become so accustomed to played across his face and I couldn't help but smile in return.

"Very funny! Love is hardly the problem. I suppose I would choose Harry. My conversations with Ron rarely progress past catty bickering and my refusals to do his homework."

"Poor Weasel.. can't beat Potter at anything can he?"

"Whatever. Your turn. Who will it be- your mom or your dad?"

I was hoping to pose him with a difficult question, since the one he had given the most thought so far was which he preferred- cake or pie, but I realized quickly that I had missed my mark. He simply scoffed and shook his head.

"I hope you didn't think I was going to agonize over that choice, Granger. My mother may be a cold hearted bitch, but she is incapable of even hinting at the level of evil my father possesses. Surely even you could have figured that one out."

"Fine" I said with a smirk "I'm tired of this game anyway. Let's talk about something else."

He changed his position so that he was lying on his back, with one arm behind his head, looking at the ceiling. Before I realized what I was doing, I shifted myself, also, so that we were lying side by side.

"This is weird, isn't it?"

I knew what he was talking about, but I decided to play dumb anyway.

"What's weird... this room? I rather like it."

He chucked softly before answering, "Not the room... this, us."

"Probably."

There were so many things that I wanted to say to him, but I couldn't. Some of them were still hard for me to admit to myself- like that staying here with him on Wednesday nights had become the only thing I looked forward to, that on Thursday mornings I wanted to cry because I knew it would be an entire week before I would feel safe and comfortable again, that sometimes if I allowed my mind to relax enough, I could completely forget that I had hated him once and only saw him as my friend.

I had spent so many hours, and days fighting with myself over considering him a friend. My mind kept telling me that it was wrong... a betrayal somehow, like I was abandoning Harry by being friends with one of his enemies. But, the Draco Malfoy I was spending time with - talking, laughing, and asking one another questions- didn't even seem like the same person that had terrorized us for years. He couldn't possibly be the same arrogant, selfish Slytherin that had harassed me about my muggle background for so long.

This Draco was patient enough to listen to my endless concerns about his father and Lord Voldermort. He was kind enough to tell me everything was going to turn out okay, even though I could see in his eyes that even he didn't believe his lies. He was caring enough to be concerned over my lack of sleep and how little I was eating, despite the dark circles that marked his own face. He was funny, and witty, and smart. He was strong, and determined... and most of all, he was ashamed of the things he had done and the ideals he had once accepted without question simply because they came from his father.

"I never told you what my father said."

His words startled me out of my own thoughts, and I realized he was talking a second too late to actually catch what he had said.

"Hmm?"

"My father's letter this morning... I never told you what it said."

I looked over at him and saw that he had propped himself up on his elbow and was looking at me with a strange look on his face. He looked nervous, and something else... sad maybe, and that worried me. I lifted myself up on my own arm and turned to face him.

I gasped softly and felt my breath catch in my throat. I hadn't realized how close we were, but his eyes were starting back at mine from no more than two inches away.

"I wasn't sure if I was going to tell you. There isn't much to tell really... it's all pretty cryptic... but I figured you would still want to know."

"Oh, right. Of course." I stammered the words out and was embarrassed to realize that his close proximity had made me forget what we were talking about. For a second, I had forgotten everything- where I was, what I was doing, who I was... everything except who I was with.

Draco reached behind his back and pulled a piece of folded parchment out of his pocket. I saw that he hesitated before handing it to me, and suddenly I felt nervous. Maybe I didn't want to know what it said after all. Maybe they had finally gotten the plan together and were expecting us to do something terrible. Or maybe it was worse... maybe they somehow knew I wasn't really willing to help and were planning to kill me.

I could feel my heart pounding wildly in my chest and my stomach felt like it was in my feet as Draco handed the parchment to me. I took it from him and opened it slowly.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Fact 1: **__Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling._

_**Fact 2: **__I am not her. _

_**Conclusion: **__It isn't mine. _

**AN: I apologize in advance for any grammar/wording mistakes. I have gone over it, but I have a headache, so I probably missed some things. **

* * *

_Draco, _

_I hope my letter finds you well. I have been pleased by your accounts of the cooperation you are receiving. I trust things are still going smoothly. _

_For now, I only have a small bit of news for you. We will be coming. You needn't help. When it happens, keep her near you._

_Your Father, _

_L. Malfoy _

I felt the parchment drop from my hands and looked up at Draco, but all I could see was the room spinning around me. I sat up slowly and lowered my head into my hands, trying to calm my breathing down.

" Oh, God. Oh my God... this, this is..."

"Hermione, you have got to calm down. It isn't as bad as it seems at first. If you will just -"

I glanced up when he stopped talking, only to see him moving towards me. I kept my eyes on him trying to see what he was doing and watched as he reached his hands out to grab my shoulder and lowered me slowly to the floor. Once I was lying safely on a pillow, I could feel myself calming down and nodded at him slowly, hoping he would understand that it meant I was okay.

He sighed deeply, and situated himself so that he was sitting comfortably, but didn't move from by my side.

"Look, I know it seems... bad, but it doesn't really have to be. I was freaked out about it at first, but I've had some time to think about it, and I really don't think they are going to do anything. Whatever the plan is, it clearly involves us and he told me that I don't have to do anything now, other than keep you near me. So, obviously this isn't it."

At the beginning of his little speech, I prepared myself to do what I usually did when he tried to convince me things weren't so bad- swallow his lies, and arrange my face in my best "I believe you" expression. But this time, he surprised me... for the first time, he seemed to actually believe himself, and that made me want to believe him, too.

Still, no matter how badly I wanted him to be right, part of it just didn't add up.

"If they aren't going to do anything... then why are they coming? I seriously dobt Dumbledore invited them for tea. And besides, who are _they _anyway?" I knew I shouldn't have sounded so frustrated, after all- this wasn't his fault- but I was so sick of talking about _them _without actually saying who they were.

I looked up to find that he was laughing at me again, shaking his head slowly. Normally I would find it infuriating to be laughed at, but something about seeing Draco laugh at me in a friendly way, rather than a mean, taunting way, made me feel better- not worse.

"To be one of the brightest witches of our time, you still manage to ask some pretty dumb questions, Granger." He said when he was done laughing, but continued shaking his head.

I rolled my eyes at him in exasperation before trying to explain myself.

"I know that it's Lord Voldermort behind all of this, and I know that Death Eaters are basically carrying out the plan for him- well Death Eaters and us..."

I trailed off because I had unintentionally reminded myself of a question I had been trying to repress since the night I was kidnapped. Something about the way Draco had been with the Death Eaters from the get go -like he wasn't taken with the rest of us, but already there- made me feel anxious. The thought of him being a Death Eater, bowing before Lord Voldermort with his father, being branded with the Dark Mark, made me sick at my stomach. Most of the time it seemed impossible, but then I thought about all the rumors I had heard, and about how he always wore long sleeves.

I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to rearrange my thoughts. When I opened my eyes I saw Draco looking at me carefully, trying to figure out what I was thinking, and I suddenly wanted nothing more than to ask him the one question I had been too afraid to bring up in our little games.

_It's now or never, Hermione. No matter what his answer is, at least you will know._

"Draco, can I ask you a question?" The words were out before I had thought them through, and I immediately regretted it. There was no way I was getting out of it now, he wouldn't let me out of this anymore than he let me out of choosing between Harry and Ron.

"Well, I thought we were still in the middle of your last question, but sure... go ahead." His face was serious now... careful and calculated, any hint of the laughter from before was completely gone, and I found myself hoping that I wasn't about to mess all of this up.

"I was just wondering... and it may be a stupid question, I hope it is. But, if it isn't, and if it is what I'm afraid it is--" The words came flooding out of my mouth and I knew I probably wasn't making sense, but I had to get it over with.

"I'm afraid I don't exactly follow... but you can ask me anything you want to. I won't lie to you." His face had softened a little, probably in response to how nervous I was, but he was still looking at me intensely, his deep gray eyes staring straight into my hazel ones.

"I'm not afraid that you will lie to me... I'm afraid you will be angry at me."

He lowered his head, closing his eyes as he did, and for a second I was afraid he had guessed what I was about to ask and that he wasn't angry- but hurt. Suddenly, I wanted to cry. Why did I have to bring it up? In the end, it didn't even matter. Death Eater or not, I needed him.

"I'm sorry." I said quietly, hoping desperately that he would just accept my apology and we could pretend this hadn't happened.

"Sorry? What for?" He asked, with a confused look on his face.

"Just ask whatever it is you have to ask me... I promise I won't be angry at you. Even if it's terrible, I probably deserve it."

"Will you show me your arm?" I looked up at him as I spoke, and watched his face waiting for the anger or hurt to set in so that I could apologize, but it never did. He still looked confused.

After a few seconds I realized that he didn't understand what he was asking. I didn't want to just come out and ask him if he was a Death Eater... I couldn't. Instead, I reached over and lightly rested my hand on his left wrist. I kept my eyes on his as I took hold of the hem of his shirt and slowly moved the sleeve up his arm. Once I had revealed his arm up to his elbow, I was satisfied that there was nothing there and took a deep sigh of relief.

Draco pulled his arm away from me and readjusted his sleeve. I pulled myself up so that I was sitting across from him and looked up to see a stony expression on his face.

"You're mad at me. It's okay if you are... I knew you would be."

"I'm not mad."

I waited for him to expand on that, but finally I realized he wasn't going to. I studied his face, hoping I could figure out what he was thinking, but his expression gave nothing away.

"It's not that I thought you were... its just that I've heard rumors, and I needed to know for sure. I rarely even think about it, I just reminded myself earlier and I knew I had to ask you now or I never would. You have to understand, Draco, I just needed to know." I said in a rush, practically pleading with him not to be angry at me.

"It's okay. I'm not mad.. I understand." He smiled, trying to convince me, but it was an empty smile and his words fell flat.

I felt like I was going to cry. I was ruining everything. Now the one person I could talk to... the one person that made me feel even a little bit safe was upset with me and probably wouldn't want to speak to me again. I tried to blink back the tears, and was standing up to go when his strong hands stopped me.

"Please... don't go."

I sat back down, and looked at him expectantly. He was still staring at the floor, and I noticed that he was rubbing his left arm absently.

"I'm really not angry at you. I'm just upset because you reminded me of how people see me. So few people actually know me, and everyone else just sees me as my father in younger form. I shouldn't be bothered by it.. its my own fault. For so long I _was _turning into a carbon copy of my father, and I never cared enough to tell people otherwise. I guess I just thought _you _wouldn't think of me like that anymore."

He finally looked up at me, and I could feel the knot in my stomach tighten and tears well up in my eyes again. I had hurt his feelings. He was right, I shouldn't have thought of him like that anymore. I should have known better.

He reached out and brushed his hand across my face, wiping a tear away from my cheek.

"Don't cry. I really am glad you asked."

"I'm sorry. I really _don't_ think about you that way anymore. I just... I wish I could explain it in a way that will make sense." I was trying desperately to work it all out in my mind quickly enough to explain it to him, but I couldn't find a way to explain this without telling him more than I wanted to. Finally, my desire to make things okay with him, to make him understand, beat out my desire to keep my pride.

"This has been really hard for me... this whole thing. I know it hasn't been easy for you, but this is just all so different for me. Suddenly, I'm forced to work with the very people I planned to dedicate my life to helping destroy. I'm having to work towards a goal that goes against everything I believe in, and the only person I can talk to ... the only person I can trust is someone I have considered my enemy for five years. At first it was hard for me to even consider you my friend... but eventually... now, it seems absurd to try to deny it. You are the only person I really even talk to anymore. Staying here with you on Wednesdays is the only time I can relax... its what I look forward to all week. You make me feel safe, and comfortable, and happy almost."

I could feel my face getting hot, and I suddenly wanted to stop talking and just leave. This was all way too embarrassing. But when I looked at Draco, the expression on his face had softened and there was a warmth in his usually steely eyes that gave me the courage to go on.

"I guess what I am trying to say is that I like being with you... but then the rest of the week, I am left alone with my thoughts, just trying to figure things out and wishing that time would go quickly and get me to Wednesday again. I don't trust many people, and it scared me when I started trusting you and depending on you so much. I started looking for signs that you were tricking me somehow." I bit my lip, hoping he would somehow understand what I was trying to say. "I got paranoid." I finished.

I held my breath, waiting for him to say something, but he didn't. I followed the pattern on the pillow between us twice before I looked up at him and saw that he was staring at me. I opened my mouth to speak, but couldn't find the words. My eyes traced over his pale features- his blond hair, his silver eyes, his smooth skin, his front teeth biting his lower lip... I couldn't stop myself from laughing when I realized that I was doing the same thing. Briefly, I wondered if it was something I had picked up from him or something he had picked up from me.

Draco looked at me like I had three heads... no doubt due to my sudden laughing spell. After a few moments he lowered his head into his hands and sighed heavily before speaking.

"This is absolutely absurd." He murmered, quitely enough that I wasn't sure if he actually intended for me to hear him.

"You are nothing like I thought, Granger." He said, shaking his head and looking at me with a curious expression on his face.

"I'm sorry." I muttered. I knew it sounded silly, but I couldn't think of what else to say.

"Jesus!" He exclaimed suddenly, causing me to jump slightly at the elevation of his voice.

"I didn't mean to yell, its just... stop apologizing to me, okay?"

I nodded mutely, fighting back the ridiculous urge to apologize for apologizing.

"Can I ask you a question? It seems only fair." He asked, the expression on his face daring me to say no.

"Want to see my arm?"

"Very funny." He scoffed.

"Are you..." He stopped midsentence, and for a second he looked torn over if he should continue or not. I inclined my head towards him slightly, hoping he wouldn't back out. Now I was curious.

"Are you scared of me?"

The expression on his face was so full of pain, so disheartened that it was heartbreaking.

I was shaking my head before I even formed the answer in my mind. And as I spoke the word "no", I realized how true it was. I couldn't even remember the last time I had been remotely scared of him.

"Scared is the very _last _thing I feel when I'm with you." I spoke quitely, embarrassed that I was once again saying more than I needed to... more than he had asked, and undoubtedly more than he wanted to know.

"I'm glad." He said simply, smiling at me softly.

I yawned, realizing how tired I actually was. I wasn't sleeping any better through the week, and these nights were really my only opportunity to catch up on sleep. I reached behind me, rearranging the pillows so make myself a little nest of cushions and laid back on them, settling myself in. Draco did the same, lying down about a foot away from me.

He pointed his wand at the fire in the fireplace and lowered the flames so that the room was considerably dimmer, but the temperature was still comfortable.

"Goodnight.' He murmered, quietly.

"Night, Malfoy."

"Hey Granger?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't be afraid to ask me things, okay? No matter what it is... I would rather you know the truth."

"Okay. I promise."

--

Thursday mornings always felt a bit akward. Somehow our gaurd was always down at night, but in the morning when we had to get ready and go to breakfast or class, with our "normal" friends, things never seemed quite as effortless between us.

So, as I opened my eyes and stretched my arms above my head, I went back and forth over whether I should wake Malfoy before I left, like I usually did, or just leave and avoid all the akwardness.

"Morning, Granger"

Or maybe I didn't have to make that decision afterall. I immediately shot up, reaching all around me, trying to put my hand on my watch. How could I have overslept? I _never _overslept!

"What time is it?" I demanded, completely panicked. Had I actually missed class, or just breakfast? I could easily do without food, but I was behind enough without missing Transfiguration.

"A quarter till." Malfoy answered dryly, watching my clumsy attempt at grabbing all of my stuff.

"A quarter till, _what _exactly?" I asked with the slightest bit of hope... if it was a quarter till eight, I would still have time to get to class in time.

"Seven." He answered, a small smirk playing across his face as he leaned lazily against the wall, completely ready... school robes on, hair fixed.

As soon as it registered what he had just said, I was completely confused. It wasn't even seven? Then I wasn't late at all... but why was Draco awake this early? I usually had to all but hex him awake. More than once I had wondered how he managed to wake up at all when he was alone. I could only assume that one of his room mates doused him with cold water or shot sparks at him.

"Don't look so shocked, Granger. I managed to get up without you for years, you know." He was clearly very amused.

I rolled my eyes at him, and knowing that there was no need to rush, sat down against the wall to relax for a few minutes before getting ready.

"I never got a chance to tell you my plan." He said casually, still leaning against the wall, lazily.

"Plan? What plan?" I asked, my brow furrowed.

"I assume you don't want to just 'wing-it' when my dad and his cronies show up."

How had I managed to forget about that? Normally, hearing news that a gang of Death Eaters were coming to Hogwarts would cause me to lose sleep, at the very least, but somehow it had completely slipped my mind. Even now, as I waited for the panic to set in, for my heart to race out of control, for my breath to come in the now familiar ragged gasps... it never happened. I felt oddly calm.

"Winging it would be... bad." I nodded, trying to match his smirk.

"So here's what I've been thinking: the Professors will do one of two things when they come. They will either send us to our common rooms, or they will keep us all in the Great Hall. If _that _is the case, it won't be difficult to keep you near me. Just stay close... not that you can attach yourself to my hip, but I don't think that will be necessary. As long as I can see you and get to you easily in case something _does _happen.." It was the first time he had acknowledged that something _could _go wrong, and my eyes widened in response. "Not that it's going to." He assured me again, looking at me for moment before continuing. "But anything is possible. The problem is going to come if they send us to our common rooms. I can't very well waltz you into the dungeons with the Slytherins, and I doubt your common room would be any more accepting of me. So, if something happens come here as quickly as you can. What we _need _is a place that you and I can hide, but still know whats going on. So, I think we should just have to say exactly that."

I nodded mutely, feeling the familiar uneasiness swirl through my stomach. He was nervous. He was trying to hide it... but I could see it in his eyes, hear it in his voice. And all of this talk of plans and hiding made me feel anxious.

"I know its not perfect" He continued, pulling me out of my thoughts, and for that I was strangly grateful. "People will wonder where you are, and probably assume that I am helping my dad- but I don't know any other way to stay together."

"No, I think it will work. But... " I didn't want to say it. I knew I would want to take it back as soon as I did, but I also knew that if I didn't say it I would feel horribly guilty. "You don't have to stay with me. I'll be fine, and I wont cause any problems. I don't want you to get in trouble because of me... I don't want people thinking that about you." I said, shyly, suddenly embarrassed that I even cared what people thought of him.

"That part is non-negotiable, Granger. My father says I am to keep you near me, and I know better than to try anything else." He stated, simply.

Briefly, my stomach dropped in... dissapointment? But why should I be dissapointed that Malfoy was following his dad's orders. Of course that was the only reason he would stay with me. He had no other obligation to me, and any time he spent with me was sure to be due to pure obligation. I knew that. Still, I couldn't stop my face from falling slightly.

"Besides... I'm not just going to leave you alone while there are Death Eaters in the school. Some of them aren't exactly thrilled that you are working with me. I don't trust them, and if something happened to you... I don't think I could forgive myself."


	6. Chapter 6

_**Fact 1: **Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling._

_**Fact 2: **I am not her. _

_**Conclusion: **It isn't mine. _

The funny thing about dreading something is that eventually you start wishing it would happen just so you don't have to sit around waiting on it anymore. By Saturday, I almost considered sending Lucius Malfoy a written invitation to Hogwarts just on the off chance that the black cloud of dread would lift off of me a little.

Thursday and Friday, thoughts of them occupied my mind entirely- why they were coming, what they were going to do, how Dumbledore and the professors would act, if I would be able to stay with Draco. I thought of absolutely nothing else, and people started to notice.

Thursday afternoon Professor Snape had taken great pleasure in deducting twenty points from Gryffindor because my potion turned a sickly green color instead of acid yellow. And Friday morning, Professor McGonagall had kept me after class to ask if I was feeling ill or if I needed help with anything. I felt like all I did lately was make excuses for my behavior, try to keep myself from busting into tears at the drop of a hat, or push bad thoughts out of my mind.

So, it really shouldn't have been a surprise when I woke up Saturday with a pounding headache. I looked at my watch and saw that it was almost eleven. I closed my eyes, trying to clear my head, and looked again. How could I have possibly slept so late? I sat up and tried to stretch, but my entire body felt stiff like I had slept in the exact same position all night.

By the time I took a shower and got dressed, my muscles had started to loosen up, but my head still felt like it was filled with cement. I sat back down on my bed, and rested my head against the head board. I had told myself I was going to finish up all of my homework and spend time with my friends today... but my head just hurt so bad. I squeezed my eyes shut and begged the pounding to stop. I sat there for a few minutes, going over my options in my head. I could go to the library and try to study. I could stay here and finish my arithmacy homework, I could try to find Harry and Ron, or I could sit right where I was and do absolutely nothing. The trouble was, none of them sounded particularly appealing. Spending time with my friends had gotten so hard- I had to think about everything I said, while also trying to keep my face arranged in what felt like a happy expression. It was exhausting. But, I felt so anxious when I was alone, like Voldermort himself would drop in on me at any given moment.

I was trying to decide which was the lesser of the two evils when a tiny little voice in my head offered another option "You could go to the hospital wing"

I didn't even think about where I was going as I climbed through the common room door and took a left in the corridor. I vaguely noticed people passing by me, but I didn't register that I should smile or wave at them until it was too late. Oh well, at least if people thought I was rude no one would try to talk to me, right?

It wasn't until I got to the hospital wing door that I started thinking I had made the wrong choice. It was just a headache, Madam Pomfrey would surely laugh at me. But the thought of having the blinding ache behind my eyes stop was too enticing, and I walked through the heavy white door.

Luckily, it was empty. At least someone who was really sick, or hurt wouldn't see me being a baby about a simple headache. I had never actually been in here when Madam Pomfrey wasn't already treating someone, or expecting me, so I wasn't sure what to do. I didn't have to wonder about it long. I hadn't been inside the hospital wing a full minute when I heard footsteps coming down the small staircase in the far corner of the room.

"Hello dear. What can I do for you?" Madam Pomfrey greeted me, smiling. I had never seen her so calm... or so friendly. Briefly, I wondered why, and then I realized that I had rarely seen her when she wasn't in the midst of an emergency.

I gave her my best effort at a smile before answering, feeling slightly embarrassed about why I was there.

"I feel kind of silly even coming. It's just that, I woke up today with the worst headache. My entire head just feels... wrong, heavy somehow. And behind my eyes I keep having shooting pains." I said, trying my best to convey to her how bad my head hurt.

"Sounds like a migraine. Here, sit down." She said, motioning towards the closest bed.

"Does anything else hurt? Any nausea?" She asked, as she looked through a shelf of vials.

"No nausea, I haven't eaten anything, though. And nothing else hurts.. well, my neck does hurt, but I think I just slept wrong."

She came back, holding a small rectangular vial with an amber colored liquid in it.

"Definitely sounds like a migraine. Probably stress induced... you shouldn't worry so much." She said kindly, smiling at me again.

"Take this. It doesn't taste very good but its important that you drink it all. It will probably make you a little sleepy, so go straight to your common room when you leave. It should have you feeling better pretty quickly, but if you have any problems- side effects of any kind, or if it doesn't go away, come back immediately."

I nodded and took the vial from her, swallowing the contents in one drink. The thick liquid seemed to take forever to go down, and left a terrible bitter taste in my mouth. I winced, and shook my head before standing to go.

I turned towards the door, when she stopped me.

"Miss Granger?"

"Yes?"

"Never hesitate to come, no mater how minor your ailment seems. Not everyone only needs my help when someone is dying or unconscious."

"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey." I said, making another effort at a smile, but judging from the slight look of pity on her face, I doubt she was fooled.

I wasn't even back to the common room when I started yawning. Once I got there, I was surprised to see that the common room was completely empty. But then I realized it was probably a beautiful day outside, and normal people were enjoying it. I trudged to my room, barely making it to my bed before I was fast asleep.

When I finally woke up, I felt like I had slept for days... the deep, heavy sleep that only comes from cold medicine, or in my case- a headache cure. The feeling of cement in my head was gone, and I could open my eyes fully without wanting to squeeze them back shut. I stretched my arms above my head, and smiled when I realized even my neck had stopped hurting. My mood suddenly lifted and I hopped off my bed and made my way into the common room. Maybe spending some time with my friends wouldn't be so bad, now that I felt human.

But, my friends weren't there. Worse... no one was there. Suddenly, my heart dropped to me feet. Had something happened? Had IT happened and I slept right through it? Oh God, my friends could be in trouble... Draco would be wondering where I was, and I was taking a nap. I looked at my watch- trying to get a grip on anything, even something as small as the time- and my shoulders fell with relief. It was almost supper time. Everyone was in the Great Hall... getting ready to eat. At the thought of food, my stomach lurched and I remembered that I hadn't eaten anything all day.

You haven't done anything all day, I reminded myself, You slept away an entire day... what a waste.

I almost felt bad, and then I realized that no... it wasn't a waste. My headache was gone, and that was definitely worth missing studying or small talk.

When I walked through the doors of the Great Hall, I couldn't help but notice how loud it was...much louder than the usual buzz of conversation. Reflexively, I turned towards the source of the noise, only to find that it was coming from the Gryffindor table. They seemed to be in the middle of a celebration of some kind, but I couldn't imagine what could have happened in one day.

"Hey Harry, Ron. What's going on?"

"Oh... hey, Hermione." Harry answered distractedly, barely even looking away from the crowd of Gryffindors (mainly females) who seemed to be hanging on his every word.

Oh, okay. So Harry's done something miraculous again.

"What did I miss? Did something happen?" I asked, carefully.

Ron looked at me blankly for a minute, and then his expression changed to one of pure annoyance before he rolled his eyes at me.

"I know you've been pretty absent, Hermione, but surely even you can be a little bit happy for us." He said, his tone harsh and biting.

I wasn't sure what to say. I knew he was angry at me for not being around much, but now that I was trying to talk to him did he have to be so mean? Of course I would be happy for them, as soon as they told me what they had done... what had happened, what made today so... and then it hit me.

I glanced around the table and saw all the "Slaughter Slytherin" buttons looking back at me. The Gryffindor/Slytherin quidditch match. Ron was right.. even I should have remembered that, its all anyone had talked about for weeks. Even in my near-zombie state I had heard people talking about it, looking forward to it, placing bets, and making predictions. So how had I forgotten? How had it not even factored into my thoughts?

But... of course I wouldn't have thought about it, because I had barely talked to anyone lately... except Malfoy. But wait, Malfoy was Slytherin's seeker. Why hadn't he mentioned it? Without thinking, I glanced over at his table and saw that the Slytherins looked even more irritable than usual. Just as I was about to turn back and tell Harry and Ron I was sorry for being such an idiot, and that of course I was excited for their obvious win, a pair of deep grey eyes looked up and caught mine. Draco smiled at me briefly... a sad smile, that didn't reach his eyes, before turning back to his friends.

"Earth to Hermione..." Harry said, looking at me quizzically.

"No wonder you have no idea what's going on. You act like you are sleep walking half the time." Ron chimed in, still sounding annoyed.

I didn't want to argue with him, and part of me knew that he had every right to be angry at me, so I just smiled and apologized.

"I know I've been kind of... out of it lately... and I'm sorry. I just haven't been feeling right and I have a lot of things on my mind. I just wasn't thinking, I guess, but of course I am happy for you. I knew you guys would win, though... why does everyone seem so surprised?"

I was hoping that I could just play along and pretend that I had been at the game... rather than hiding under my covers all day. Silly of me to think that the universe might give me even the tiniest of breaks...

"You weren't there? Damn, Hermione, you really don't care about anything anymore, do you?" Ron asked, hurt and anger touching every word.

Harry stayed silent, but I could tell from the look on his face that he was disappointed, too.

"I'm really sorry, guys. I know you are tired of my excuses. Trust me... I'm tired of giving them, but I really couldn't come today. I didn't do anything... not even homework. I slept late and then went to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey gave me something that pretty much knocked me out, and I just woke up."

I smiled apologetically, hoping it sounded at least a little less pathetic to their ears than it did to mine.

"The hospital wing? What for? "

"Are you sick? Hurt?"

"What happened?"

Harry's and Ron's words came out in a rush, making it difficult for me to understand who was asking what, and they both suddenly seemed very interested in looking me up and down the best they could around the table.

"I'm fine... I'm actually good now. I just had a headache... felt like my head was going to explode. Madam Pomfrey said it sounded like a migraine, probably caused from stress. But, I took the medicine and fell asleep... and now I feel pretty good. I'm just starved."

The fact that I was hungry seemed to relax them a little, and they turned their focus back to their own food. As I was loading my plate up, I noticed that since Harry had turned his attention to me, and away from his admiring fans, the table had quieted down a lot. And then I remembered that I never did find out what great thing I had missed.

"So, Harry..." I managed to get out between bites of chicken. "What is it exactly that we're so happy about?"

"Arry nopped Alfof is droom" Ron mumbled excitedly, not seeming to care that his mouth was full of food.

"Swallow your food, Ronald." I said irritably "I couldn't understand a word you just said."

"Sorry" Ron said, sheepishly, after swallowing noisily.

"Don't apologize, just tell me what happened."

"Harry knocked Malfoy off his broom."

Ron and Harry were beaming at me, and somewhere.. deep in the back of my mind, I recognized that I should be excited with them. That's what they wanted from me... the reaction they expected from me. But, all of those thoughts were kept in the darkest corner of my mind because all I could think was Is he okay? Was he hurt? I shouldn't have gone to sleep...

Before I could stop myself, I turned towards the Slytherin table, desperately hoping that he would notice me looking and catch my eye. I just needed to look at him, to see his face... to know that he was okay.

"Hermione, what's up with you?"

I heard Harry and Ron trying to get my attention. I knew I should turn around and at least pretend I wasn't worried or upset- it was the least I could do if I couldn't muster up false excitement. Still, even as I knew that... no matter how much my mind was screaming at me to turn around and just have a nice supper with my friends... I couldn't turn back around. My eyes were glued on the blonde head of Draco Malfoy. I watched him lean around Trena Lentz, listening to whatever the tall, dark guy on the other side of her was saying.

I bit my lip, mentally begging him to turn and notice me. I was about to give up and turn around when someone on the other end of the table called his name, and he turned his head... looking right past me. But, before he answered whoever was calling him, he glanced back towards me. His eyes caught mine, and I could see the question behind them. He studied my face for a second, examining my expression, trying to decode the worry that was crossing my features- furrowing my brows, and wrinkling my fore head.

I shifted my eyes to my left, making sure Harry wasn't watching me anymore. I could only see his back, and I heard Ron's sputtering laughter across the table. They must have given up and started talking about something else.

I looked back to the other table, only to find Malfoy looking at me with a looking of pure impatience. Slowly, trying to exaggerate the movement my mouth would make with each sound, I mouthed at him "Are you okay?"

He looked confused for half a second, and then a cocky smirk played across his lips just before he rolled his eyes and nodded.

I smiled at him - a real smile, not the kind I had to force for Madam Pomfrey or Harry and Ron - and turned back to my food.

Several minutes later, we were all listening to Ginny talk about the time her dad decided to live like a muggle and refused to do any magic. Ron was piping in every few minutes - reminding Ginny of things she forgot, and each crazy situation Mr. Weasley had gotten into seemed to be funnier than the last. My jaw was aching from laughing, a problem I hadn't had in what seemed like ages.

Suddenly, the huge hanging lights in the Great Hall flickered once, and then went out completely. Everyone jumped, and several first years - and maybe a few of the older students, too - screamed. I wanted to scream. I wanted to jump. I wanted to run like hell out of the Great Hall and lock myself in a closet somewhere, but I couldn't move. I could barely breathe. I knew, instinctively- the way you know someone is looking at you, or that a day is going to go all wrong before you even get out of bed - that this was it. I instantly hated myself for wishing this would hurry and come so I wouldn't have to worry about it anymore. I would take all the dread and worry in the world over the feeling of shear panic that was building up in my chest... burning through my stomach.

So many things were going on around me, that it took me a minute to get a grasp on what I should do. I could hear the heavy doors to the Great Hall being thrown open and swinging shut as people, professors, I assumed, left. I could hear people talking in hushed whispers, and others practically screaming. My mind was so muddled with all the sounds that at first I didn't realize that I couldn't see anything. Without the lights on, the large room was pitch-black, just like the starless, moonless sky outside. I could barely even see the people beside me, let alone make out what the professors were doing. I couldn't figure out why Dumbledore hadn't done something already.. why he hadn't said anything. He was here wasn't he? I had been so confused when I came in that I hadn't noticed if he was at the professors table or not. If Dumbledore wasn't here... I shook my head, forcing the thought out of my mind.

Suddenly, I felt a hand rest lightly on my shoulder. I jumped, and felt my breath catch in my throat. I spun around quickly, not sure if I should expect to see Harry and Ron standing there, or Voldermort himself. Instead, it was Malfoy's voice that whispered in my ear, his words forcing some reason into my rattled brain.

"Just remember, stay near me." I turned towards his voice, and was startled to see that he was close enough for me to make out the shape of his face in the darkness. I swallowed hard, and nodded, realizing too late that he might not be able to see the gesture. And then, just as quickly as he had appeared, he was gone.

So that settled it, Malfoy had just confirmed that this was what I thought it was. His father and a number of other Death Eaters were somewhere in the castle... doing whatever it was they had to do. The only thought that offered me comfort was that I wasn't expected to do anything. This wasn't where I came in. My only job was to stay where Malfoy could see me. I almost laughed at the thought... Draco couldn't see anything. None of us could.

**Why **is it still dark in here? We are witches and wizards... for the love of God, why hasn't someone done something about the--

I was pulled out of my thoughts by the sound of "Lumos" being yelled from the professor's table. Taking their lead, several students also reached for their wands and cast the spell. It took me a second, but I eventually focused myself enough to light my own wand.

Somehow, the room being lit by hundreds of wands almost made it creepier than when it had been completely dark. I could now see the scared expressions on my classmates faces, and that made my own fear seem more real. I had been hiding inside my own head for so long, that I was startled at the realization that this was about much more than just me. Just because I was the one who had been thrown head first into this mess long before anyone else even knew there was a problem, didn't mean it didn't effect every single one of us.

I could tell that Dumbledore was faltering through his plea for us to remain calm and stay seated. Whatever was going on had obviously caught him completely off guard, and that alone was enough to make everyone anything but calm.

"We will be returning to the common rooms soon enough, but for the time being, prefects, please make every effort to keep your houses under control."

I stood up and felt my legs waver beneath me. I turned towards Ron, hoping he wasn't as shaken as me. I had no doubts that if someone from Gryffindor tried to cause a problem, I wouldn't even know how to attempt to stop them. I was relieved to see that he only looked a little anxious. He smiled at me, and we walked toward the head of the table.

I looked over at the table closest to us and saw Malfoy standing watch over his own house. His expression was calculated, but not exactly nervous and that made me feel slightly better. I followed his gaze, to the front of the Great Hall at the professors table. Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall were the only ones left... apparently everyone else was out looking for whatever the problem was. For the first time, I wondered what had actually happened. The lights had gone out, but surely that alone wasn't enough to get Dumbledore so rattled. Something must have happened that we weren't aware of.

"Right crazy, huh Hermione?" Ron said quietly, leaning towards me slightly as he spoke.

"Definitely." I didn't trust myself to say much more, it was too difficult judging what I should know, and what I should be thinking.

I felt extremely awkward standing up in front of everyone like that. The anxiety in the room had suddenly channeled itself into silence; everyone seemed to be avoiding so much as breathing hard.

The doors to the great hall suddenly swung open and Professor Snape came rushing through, his black robes billowing behind him as he walked. Every head turned and followed him as he walked to Professor Dumbledore and spoke in rushed whispers, glancing around the room once as he spoke.

As soon as Snape was done talking, Professor Dumbledore turned to face his anxious students.

"While I am still confident there is no eminent danger, we have made the decision that, for now, it is best that you do not return to your common rooms. It is much easier for us to know where everyone is and that everyone is safe if you are all here together. It also allows for us to keep watch on the entire castle, if the Heads of Houses are not forced to stay with you all in the common rooms."

A quite buzz spread over the tables, students expressions ranging from terrified to excited.

I, personally felt immensely relieved. For days I had been so focused on Draco telling me I needed to stay near him, that I had built it up in my head to be something difficult to achieve. I had ran scenarios through my mind over and over, thinking up excuses for why I wasn't where I was supposed to be. And now, here Dumbledore was, giving me exactly what I hadn't even dared to hope for. Logically, I knew that if something was going to happen to me... if someone wanted to hurt me, Draco wouldn't be able to stop them. But that didn't stop me from feeling like at least something was going my way.

Lost in my thoughts, I missed everything else Dumbledore said, so I was surprised when everyone started standing up. Almost instantly, the long tables disappeared and were replaced with a shiny navy blue blanket that appeared beneath our feet covering the entire floor of the Great Hall, and hundreds of pale gold pillows were thrown in rows across the room.

I was instantly reminded of the room that had become my favorite place to spend time lately, and a small smile crossed my lips. I instinctively turned toward where Draco was standing just in time to see him turn his gaze quickly away from me.


	7. Chapter 7

**Fact 1:** Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling.

**Fact 2: **I am not her.

**Conclusion: **It isn't mine.

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**Author's Note: **I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who added me to their alert list, and especially everyone who reviewed. Honestly... its knowing that people are reading, and are actually interesting that keeps me writing. I have a bad habit of not finishing things I start, but y'all are keeping me going :) So again, thanks!

Also, I want to apologize for a couple of things. First off, I know I haven't been updating very quickly. I _am _sorry, but a lot of the time it can't be avoided. Most of my time is spent in school, at work, or doing homework... so a lot of the time I'm just too tired to write, and trust me, you don't want to read the crap I write if I'm not actually into it. I also want to apologize in advance for any errors in this chapter. I have proofread it, but not as many times as I like to. But.. its either get the chapter up now with some mistakes, or not get it up for a couple more days- so here it is- far from perfect.

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When I woke up the next morning, at first I didn't remember why I felt so much lighter than I had the mornings before. But as my eyes worked to adjust to the darkness of the large room, and I stretched my arms out, hitting warm bodies to either side of me, it all came flooding back.

I remembered the overwhelming dread that had built up, gaining strength by the hour since Draco had told me of his father's most recent letter. I remembered the headache that made me wish I could sleep forever, and Ginny's stories making me laugh like I hadn't laughed in weeks. I remembered being worried about Draco, and feeling anxious about Harry and Ron being angry at me. Most of all... I remembered the lights going out, Dumbledore's flustered reassurances that we all saw through, and my relief at his announcement that we would be spending the night in the Great Hall. I had, without actually doing anything, accomplished the one thing I was supposed to- I had stayed near Draco.

Tied to that last thought was one memory that brought out very odd emotions inside of me. My mind reeled and my stomach did flips just thinking about it... sometime during the night, after everyone had managed to calm down and even I had started to think that maybe nothing tragic was going to happen after all, at least not tonight, something very strange happened. I was lying in the darkness, thinking about the irony of where I was lying- or more specifically, who I was lying next to. Harry and Ron had protested when I led them so close to the Slytherins, especially Malfoy, but I had insisted that if something dark was going on, that was exactly where we should be. I was fully prepared to give them the "keep your enemies closer" speech, but didn't need to. They just sighed, and grumbled (most on Ron's part) but followed me- as I knew they would eventually. So there I was, Harry lying on my right side and Draco on my left, when I heard what sounded like a thousand bees buzzing. It started off as a low hum, soft enough that I wasn't entirely sure it wasn't just in my head. But then, it got louder and louder until eventually the floor beneath us was vibrating ever so slightly.

I laid there for a second, mentally begging for whatever it was to stop, but when it didn't I starting sitting up, foolishly hoping I could see something- anything that would give me some sort of clue. I wasn't even sitting halfway up when a strong hand reached up and pushed me back down. I looked to my left in frustration. I hadn't even realized he was awake, though how anyone could sleep through all that buzzing was a mystery to me. Why did he care if I sat up anyway?

"Just lie still" Draco said quietly, "Don't draw attention to yourself."

His tone was anxious. I started feeling that familiar uneasiness creep back into my stomach, and my mind was jumping from one thought to another- thinking up every kind of terrible situation I could imagine. If he knew something else why hadn't he told me? Probably to keep me from worrying. I almost laughed out loud at the thought... as if I had done anything but worry the past few days.

"What's happening?" My voice sounded more panicked than I had intended. My breath was ragged... uneven, and I knew I wasn't terribly far from a full-fledged panic attack. Great way to keep attention off you, Hermione, I thought, irritated at my newly discovered inability to keep my emotions in check.

Suddenly, the buzzing got louder... becoming less like bees and more like the sound of hundreds of gigantic fans turned on full speed. Then, several things happened at once. My heart started racing out control, my breathing stopped coming in ragged breaths- in fact, it stopped coming at all- and Draco Malfoy took my hand in his own, gripping it firmly.

The noise stopped suddenly, not fading out the way it had faded in, but that fact barely registered in my thoughts. All I could think about was the heat spreading over my entire body, beginning and ending with my left hand.

"Hermione, you have to be calm." Draco whispered so that I could barely hear him, his tone urgent.

"I told you that you were going to be fine, and I meant it. We wouldn't have stayed if I thought we were in any danger." He paused for a second, and when he spoke again his voice was considerable softer- not quieter, just warmer, no longer urgent. "I thought we discussed the benefits of you beginning to trust me."

I wasn't sure when I had fallen back asleep, but the last thing I remembered was being very aware of Draco's hand- still tangled loosely in mine, and hoping that he wouldn't let go.

--

I shook my head, forcing my thoughts back to the present. The sun still wasn't up, but it couldn't have been far from sunrise. Everyone else seemed to still be sleeping. Briefly, I considered making another attempt at sleep, but I knew it was pointless. I had barely slept any, as it was. Scattered nightmares haunted what sleep I did get, and I woke up several times during the night, jumping each time... jolting Draco awake, as well. I had eventually pulled my hand out of his, angry at myself for not doing it sooner. There was no reason we should both go without sleep.

Just thinking about my lack of sleep seemed to make me more tired, but I sat up anyway, trying to make out shapes in the still dark room. My eyes were so accustomed to the lack of light that I could actually see pretty well. I could even make out the shapes at the door, almost completely across the Great Hall from me- Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape were sitting in large, straight back chairs on either side of the large doors. They both looked tired, but not panicked or even anxious. If anything, they almost looked bored. I felt relief spread through my body in waves, obviously everything was okay.

I stretched my arms above my head, and rolled my neck, trying to work out the stiffness from a restless night on the hard floor.

Since everything was clearly okay, it shouldn't be a problem for me to head back to my room, right? Maybe I would be able to sleep if I could actually make myself comfortable... get out of these clothes, sleep in my own bed. Couldn't hurt to ask.

I got up slowly, careful not to disturb anyone as I did so, and walked through the rows of students, moving in slow, deliberate movements. As I drew closer to the doors, Professor McGonagall smiled at me- Snape raised an eyebrow.

"Good morning, Miss Granger, an early bird I see." Professor McGonagall greeted me.

"Not usually, I just didn't sleep very well." I explained.

Snape's eyebrow lifted even higher, and a curious smirk crossed his lips. What's with him? I wondered.

"Is that so? You looked quite comfortable to me." He said, the smirk never leaving his lips.

I looked at him carefully, unsure of what to say, and a look in McGonagall's direction told me she didn't understand anymore than I did. And then it hit me, he must have seen me and Draco. But how much had he seen... just that we were lying beside one another without any death threats, or that our hands were clasped together- fingers completely intertwined? The first might have looked strange... made him wonder why we had allowed such a thing to happen, but the second could be dangerous if the wrong people found out. I swallowed loudly, and shrugged at him, hoping he wouldn't see through my attempt at playing dumb.

"Professor," I began, turning my attention back to my own head of house, "Are we allowed to leave now?"

"Yes. We were waiting for it to reach a more decent hour to wake you all and make the announcement." She answered. "But, being as that you are already awake, I see no harm in you going back to your room."

I nodded slowly, my mind still running through possibilities of exactly what Snape had seen, and more importantly what he was going to do about it.

"Thank you, professor." I said, smiling slightly, and made my way through the doors without giving Snape so much as another glance.

My intention had been to go straight to Gryffindor common room, and to my room from there. There was nothing I wanted more than to get a few hours of real sleep- void of any nightmares or underlying anxiety now that I knew everything really was okay. Sure, I knew there were other things- certainly worse things- to come, but that could wait. Today I just wanted to be relieved, and maybe if I worked up to it- even happy. But somewhere along the way, I unconsciously changed my mind. I didn't even realize I had gone the wrong way until I ended up outside. I made my way across the grass- wet with morning dew - not stopping until I was at the edge of the large lake. I sat down at the edge of the water, my eyes on the sky above the trees on the other side, watching as the rising sun began painting the sky with blues and pinks.

I sighed heavily and laid back on the wet grass, stretching my arms out completely at my sides. I laid there for a few minutes before deciding that I simply had to get up and go to my room. If for some reason one of my friends were to look for me, they would assume the worst when I wasn't there. Even though, they really knew nothing about what had gone on last night, even the dimmest of people would have understood that it was something bad.

I had just made a deal with myself that I would count to one hundred and then get up, when I heard footsteps approaching. I squeezed my eyes even tighter, and foolishly wished it was someone just passing by. There was really only one person I wanted to talk to, and the odds of it being...

"Do you have an aversion to beds, Granger?"

I sat up and whipped around in one quick movement, just in time to see his usual smirk play across his lips.

"What are you doing out here Malfoy?"

"You really shouldn't answer a question with a question", he said playfully, sitting down beside me, his long legs stretched out in front of him.

"How very careless of me." I retorted, rolling my eyes at him, "No aversion to beds. I just felt like being alone... I needed to think."

Draco nodded slowly, looking at something off in the distance.

I watched him for a second, waiting on his response, but it never came. I wanted to apologize for making his night so void of sleep, but I couldn't figure out how to word it right... it all sounded so awkward in my mind.

"Draco, I ..." Even as I started speaking, I wasn't sure what I was going to say, so I stopped myself and quickly thought of something else to say.

He looked at me expectantly, one pale eyebrow cocked higher than the other.

"Yes, Hermione?"

"Umm, I was wondering something."

"You are always wondering something," He replied, a hint of sarcasm in his voice, "And I rarely know the answer, but go ahead."

"Last night just seemed strange to me... " For a second, a look of embarrassment flashed across his face, and I realized that what I said could have been taken to mean two different things.

"What I mean is, nothing really happened. The lights just went out, and everyone kind of panicked, you know? Not just the students, but the professors, too. Did something else happen, and I just missed it?"

Draco looked slightly relieved, and briefly, I wondered if he felt as anxious about what had happened between us the night before as I did. Between most people, one friend taking the other's hand wouldn't be something to think twice about, but for us... with our friendship so entirely brand new, it felt huge.

"If anything else happened, I missed it, too. I know nothing more than you do. But, I do think you are failing to look at the big picture here."

I scowled at him. I didn't like being told I was missing something, I usually prided myself in looking at every side of a situation.

"Just let me finish," he said quickly, sounding slightly exasperated.

"What I mean, is that you have been so entirely caught up in all of this, as anyone in your position would have been, that you have forgotten to look at it like you would if you weren't so caught up in it."

"I don't understand." I said, slowly. He was just making me more confused.

"Before you were taken by my father... before you knew about all the scheming and planning that is going on... you still knew that Lord Voldermort was trying desperately to gain power, right?"

"Of course I did, but..."

"And it isn't any secret that Voldermort considers Dumbledore to be one of his big obstacles in reaching that goal." Draco paused, studying my face a second before continuing. "They may not know what is going on, but someone trying to attack Hogwarts is always a possibility. Anything that happens has to be seen as a potential threat. Dumbledore can't afford to brush anything like that off as something small. He can't take that risk... he must always assume the worst."

"That makes sense... when you put it like that." I said quietly. He made it all seem so simple, the way he connected the dots like that. Why hadn't I been able to make those connections?

Without saying anything else, Draco jumped lightly to his feet and reached his hand out to me.

"Come on, Granger, lets go inside."

I took his hand and allowed him to help pull me to my feet. Dusting the seat of my jeans off, I turned to look at him.

"Can't hide forever, I guess. Harry and Ron will get nervous when they can't find me."

"That isn't exactly what I was thinking of," He said, rolling his eyes at me, "I happen to know for a fact that you didn't get a good night's sleep last night."

I could feel the blood rush to my cheeks, and I looked down at the grass, avoiding his gaze.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kept waking you up like that; I was being selfish."

"Don't worry about it. I do pretty well without sleep. I'm just sorry you were so anxious. I wish I had been able to ask my dad for information. Maybe if you had been more prepared you wouldn't have been so worried."

We were almost to the castle before either of spoke again, but it wasn't an awkward silence. It was comfortable... easy.

"Are you going to go to breakfast?"

"I haven't really thought about it." I said, lifting his left wrist to look at his watch without even thinking about it. "I doubt there will be anyone there, but I am pretty hungry."

"Well, lets go then." He said, smiling.

Just before we made the final turn before entering the Great Hall, I stopped. Draco took only a couple of steps before stopping as well, turning to face me.

"What's wrong? We don't have to walk in together if you don't want to. I didn't even think about it, but --" His words came out in a rush, each word seeming to trip over the one before it, but I cut him off before he could finish.

"No," I said, shaking my head and rolling my eyes at him. "I wasn't even thinking about that. I just..." I paused, unsure, even as I spoke, of what it was I was wanting to say to him.

"Are we friends now?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Umm, I'm not sure." He said hesitantly, and I instantly wished I had just kept my big mouth shut.

"Oh" I said, lamely, unable to come up with anything better to say.

"That isn't exactly a decision I can make, Granger. Friendship goes two ways. I, personally, would like it if we could be friends, but I can't very well force you." He explained, the familiar smirk crossing his face.

I smiled at him, a real smile, not forced and completely unrehearsed.

"Me too" I said simply, still smiling at him as I started walking towards the Great Hall again.

I turned back around when I didn't hear his footsteps behind me.

"What are you waiting on, Malfoy? Afraid they'll burn you at the stake for fraternizing with a mudblood?" I asked sarcastically.

"Don't say that," he said, frowning.

"Say what? About them burning you at the stake? I was just kidding... it's not like people do that anymore."

"No, not that." his voice sounded frustrated, as it usually did when I misunderstood him. "Don't call yourself that... I don't like it."

"Oh, sorry." I mentally kicked myself for apologizing to him again. How many times had he gotten angry at me for saying I was sorry about something like that? Even when he deserved the apology, he rarely let me get away with saying it, always muttering something about how he deserved whatever I said or thought. But still... he was the one that had been so terribly fond of calling me a mudblood in the past. Why shouldn't I be able to call myself that?

Apparently Draco wasn't in the mood to argue anymore than I was, or maybe he didn't think the apology was so out of place this time. For whatever reason, he didn't say anything. Instead, he nudged me playfully and pulled me by my elbow towards the Great Hall.

Just as Draco was reaching with his free hand to pull the heavy door open, someone called my name from the other direction. I whipped around, praying that I was wrong about who's voice that was. Draco turned with me, readjusting his hold on me so that he was no longer just cupping my elbow, but that his hand was wrapped completely around my forearm.

"Harry, I was just--"

"Just what, Hermione? Going for breakfast with Malfoy?" He practically spat the last word at me, and I flinched at the harshness in his voice.

Just then, Ron came around the corner, gawking at me and Draco... mouth hanging open, eyes wide as saucers.

"Honestly, Harry. We were --"

"We've been looking for you everywhere, Hermione. We were worried sick about you, and you were with... with... him?" Ron yelled, his voice getting higher and higher with each word until it was echoing around the corridor.

"Stop yelling at her, Weasley." Draco said calmly, pulling me back slightly, positioning himself a fraction in front of me.

"Bloody hell, Hermione, Malfoy's your protector now? Protecting you from us?"

"Ron, its not like that."

"Well the way I see it, Hermione, there are only two options here. It either is exactly what it seems, and you are scampering off to breakfast with Malfoy, or he is dragging you against your will, in which case I will hex him into next week. So which is it?"

My face reacted before I even fully understood what he was saying, and I was shaking my head, giving him his answer without consciously deciding to do so.

"Please, just stop yelling at me. Let me explain." I pleaded. I was trying desperately to work everything out in my head, but my thoughts weren't coming together fast enough. Every explanation I came up with sounded more ridiculous than the last- none of them even hinted at something they would believe.

"I don't want to hear it. Come on Harry, I'm not hungry after all." Ron said, giving me one last look of disgust before turning on his heel and storming back down the hallway.

Harry looked torn. He was clearly more willing to hear my explanation than Ron, but still didn't like what he was seeing. I smiled at him softly, hoping he would understand that I wouldn't hold it against him if he left, too.

He gave me one confused parting glance before following after Ron.

A couple of hours later, I was sitting in the back corner of the library, my legs stretched out in front of me, ankles crossed, staring at the ceiling. I had gone through all my options, and none of them were sounding great. After everything I had been through recently, who would have thought the thing I was most worried about right now would be my two best friends?

I glanced at my watch anxiously, willing the hands to move more quickly. Draco and I had agreed to meet here after we had a chance to take showers and relax a little bit after breakfast. I had eaten my food only because Draco was watching me from his own table. He had given me two choices- eat willingly, or be force-fed by him. I had looked at him skeptically, doubting that he would do something so bold, knowing how his friends and housemates would react, but something about the look on his face told me he was serious. So I ate.

I yawned and leaned my head against the bookshelf behind me. I was so sleepy. It seemed like forever since I had planned on falling into my bed and sleeping all day.

The library was completely empty except for me, so I clearly heard when the doors opened. I hesitated for a second, debating on weather I should say something or not, and then wondered what was the point. My best friends already knew something was up... why hide it from anyone else.

"Draco?" I asked, trying to lean my head around the rows of books in front of me.

"Where are you?" He called back.

"In the very back... on the floor."

He appeared from the other side of the bookshelves and smirked down at me."

"You found me." I said, smiling, as he closed the distance between us in a few long strides.

"I should have known. You really insist on being uncomfortable don't you?"

"I happen to think this is very comfortable." I retorted. " Besides, I didn't want to deal with seeing anyone else. People are on my nerves lately."

He chuckled softly and sat down across from me, mimicking the way I was sitting.

"You're right. This is pretty comfy. If I'm on your nerves, you just have to say so, though, no sense in trying to be so subtle." He said teasingly.

"Shut up, I didn't mean you."

He laughed again, and I felt my stomach flutter. Something about hearing him laugh made me want to say something that would make him laugh again. It made me feel like if I did nothing else but make me laugh like that for the rest of my life, I would be happy. How odd.

"So, what's the plan?" He asked, drawing me out of my thoughts.

"Hmm?" I knew what he meant, but I was stalling for time. For some reason, I didn't want to have to tell him that I hadn't come up with anything.

"What are you going to tell Weasel King and the Boy Wonder?"

I rolled my eyes at him. Sometimes I wondered if he just sat around thinking these names up.

"I know you don't like for me to say anything bad about them, but after the way they spoke to you today, I won't apologize. They deserve it." He explained, shrugging his shoulders.

"It isn't their fault. I know how it had to look to them, and they just... well, I guess they over reacted. And they could have let me explain, but they'll calm down. Ron just has a temper, and Harry didn't know what to do."

He nodded, but I knew he was just placating me and that he still didn't agree.

"This just sucks. I feel like I have to choose between them and you. It isn't fair." I whined, biting my lip.

"Look Hermione, if that's the problem, then consider the problem solved. You don't owe me anything. Well, that isn't entirely true. We are kind of stuck together because of this strange little project we have, but we don't have to be friends. I'll let you know if there is any news, but otherwise, you can go back to your normal life."

I looked at him, unsure of what to say. Just hours ago he said he wanted to be my friend and now he was trying to push me away? I felt like I was going to cry.

"I don't understand... what have I done?" I asked, my voice cracking on the last words.

"Done? You haven't done anything."

"But... but, I thought you wanted to be my friend. And now you are trying to get out of it."

"I'm not trying to get out of anything, Hermione." He said, sounding frustrated with me- again, "I told you I would like to be your friend, and I meant it. I just don't want my presence in your life to make things more difficult for you. You are miserable enough as it is."

"No," I said, shaking my head fiercely, "I'm not miserable. Not now... not when I'm with you."

It was out of my mouth before I realized what I had said, and I instantly regretted it.

Draco's expression softened as he studied my face. We sat there for a minute, him looking at me, me looking at the floor, before he said anything.

"I'm not going anywhere, Hermione. As long as you want me... I'll be here."

I just smiled at him, but inside I was glowing. He did want to be my friend, and as long as that was true... as long as I had him to tell me things would be okay, and protect me from my own worst fears... somehow, I would get through the rest.

"So... Harry and Ron." I said, bringing us back to the topic at hand.

"I think we should just tell them the truth."

"The truth?"

"Well maybe not all of the truth, but at least you won't have to lie to them."

"How is that?"

"Just tell them we are friends. They can't kill you for making a new friend, right?"

I eyed him incredulously before answering.

"Of course they wont kill me, but-"

"But what?"

"They aren't going to like it, and I'm surprised you would suggest that."

I was suspicious. I wasn't sure what I thought he was trying to do, but surely he wasn't actually suggesting we just be friends. The Slytherin Ring-Leader becoming buddies with a muggle born? Not likely.

Draco chuckled and shook his head, apparently understanding what I was thinking.

"How many times do I have to tell you I don't care what people think? If my friends... really I should say my housemates, I'm not exactly friends with many of them... want to have a problem with me hanging out with you, why should I be bothered? That's their problem."

I sighed heavily, trying to let what he was saying sink in. I was tired of having to think about things. I really just wanted to sleep. But really, wasn't he right? Why should I even worry about what people are going to think. We were friends. It wasn't like we were sneaking in closets or kissing in the corridors. My stomach dropped slightly at that thought, and I quickly chastised myself for even letting my thoughts go there. I did not want to be kissing Malfoy. I couldn't... that would be crossing the line, even if it wasn't for the fact that he most certainly didn't want to be kissing me.

Draco reached out and waved his hand in front of my face and said my name, drawing out each syllable.

"Her-my-uh-nee?"

"Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking. I guess you are right. It makes the most sense. And then I guess we won't have to be quite as careful."

Draco tilted his head and studied my face for a second before he said anything.

"Hermione, you are exhausted. Please just go get some sleep. If you want- I'll explain to Potter and Weasley. It will probably take some convincing to get them to talk to me, but I'm sure I can persuade them."

The smirk on his face made me wonder a little about exactly how he would convince them, but something in the back of my mind told me he was just teasing me. At this point, I couldn't picture Draco actually hurting anyone. Not unless they really deserved it.

"No, I'll talk to them. I think it will be easier for them... and at least they wont be coming up with a list of ways to hex me as I explain." I responded, smiling at him weakly.

Draco studied me for another second before jumping to his feet. He reached his hand out and lifted me to my feet.

"Bed, Granger. Not the floor. Not the ground.. a bed. It would probably be better if it was your bed, but at this point, I'm not picky. You need to sleep." His tone was teasing, but I knew he was serious. If I looked as dead as I felt, it was obvious that I was about to crash.

Draco walked me to the common room, saying that if we were going to openly be friends it couldn't hurt for us to walk through the halls together.

"Besides," He said, "Potter and Weasley would love it if I sent you off on your own and let you collapse of exhaustion. It would just prove their point that I'm out to kill you."

I rolled my eyes, but didn't object. He was probably right.. Harry's and Ron's thoughts probably weren't far from his speculation.


	8. Chapter 8

**Fact 1: **Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling.

**Fact 2: **I am not her.

**Conclusion: **It isn't mine.

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**AN: I know its been a long time since I've updated, and I'm sorry. I dont have any awesome explanations, but I am posting two chapters at once in an effort to make it up to you :) So... after you finish this one, mosey on over to Chaper 9!**

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I sighed heavily for what felt like the hundredth time, and swore under my breath.

I had been trying for almost an hour to convince Ginny that Draco was not threatening, blackmailing, or forcing me to act like his friend in anyway. Despite the tough act they put on, apparently Harry and Ron had decided to send a girl in to do their dirty work.

"I'm out of ways to explain this to you Ginny. Can't we just do this later?"

"It isn't going to make any more sense to me later, so no, I don't think we can." She said, the scowl on her small face never faltering.

I buried my face in my hands and squeezed my eyes shut. Why was she being like this? Apparently I had been very wrong in thinking that of all of my friends, Ginny would be the most understanding. She was always so cheerful, so easy going, that it was easy forget that deep down inside she could be just as moody and judgmental as her brother.

I unfolded my legs and got up off my bed, sighing once again.

"Look Ginny, I'm done here." I said, trying to keep the frustration out of my voice. "I'm sorry that you can't understand this, but I am the only one that can choose who my friends are. Not Harry, not Ron, and not you."

"We are just worried about you, Hermione, this friendship, if that even is what is going on, can't be good for you."

"Have I ever given you a reason not to trust my judgment? Why can't you just believe me on this one?"

"Because it doesn't make any sense. How can you act like this is perfectly normal? We are you friends. Not Malfoy."

"Oh, so now it has to be one or the other? That's great, Ginny, really." By this point, no longer caring how frustrated I sounded.

"You know, as much as you are trying to act like Draco is so bad for me, and that you guys are my only real friends, he has never once told me I had to choose between you. He just told me to do whatever made things easier for me. The only people giving me ultimatums are my real friends." I paused for a second, looking at her before I continued "And besides, if Harry and Ron are so worried about me, why aren't they talking to me? Why did they send you in here to do it for them?"

"Hermione, you are blowing this out of proportion." Ginny said, looking kind of taken aback at my new, harsher, tone.

"Me? I'm blowing things out of proportion?" I threw my hands in the air, and reminded myself that Ginny was my friend and that no matter what, I needed as many friends as I could get. "I'm sick of talking about this. Tell your boyfriend and your brother that if they have something to say to me, they can do it themselves."

I turned on my heel and stormed out the door, leaving Ginny sitting on my bed with her mouth open. She was probably mad, but I didn't even care. I had known it would take some time for everyone to get used to the idea that Draco and I were friends, but trying to tell me I couldn't be friends with him was crossing the line. They had no right to make me choose.

I was halfway to the library, planning on finally catching up on all my school work, when I realized that I had left my bag and all my books in my room. I mentally cursed myself for forgetting it, what was I going to do now? I couldn't go back to my room, what if Ginny was still in there waiting for me? Besides, Harry and Ron would be coming back from Quidditch practice soon. When Ginny told me they had practice they couldn't get out of, I had been irritated. Dumbledore had cancelled all classes and practices today, saying we could all do with an extra day to relax after all of the excitement. Clearly, Harry and Ron had decided to practice just to avoid me. But now, I didn't want to talk to them. I didn't even want to look at them.

Suddenly, I felt very lonely. For the first time since I had been at Hogwarts... maybe the first time in my entire life, I felt like I didn't have any friends. Harry and Ron obviously saw my friendship with Draco as a personal betrayal, and even though I felt bad that they were taking it that way- I didn't feel like it was something I should, or could apologize for. I wasn't sorry for being Draco's friends- I couldn't be.

When I reached the library, I went inside, I couldn't do my homework, but I had to go somewhere. I sat down at my table and glanced at my watch. Almost 2.

I wonder what Draco is doing, I wondered, and immediately chastised myself. Sure, we had agreed we were friends, but there was really no excuse for him occupying my thoughts as much as he did. It simply has to stop, I thought sternly.

I shook my head and tried to think about something else. Out of habit, my thoughts turned to Harry and Ron, but that only made me angry. I tried thinking about my school work, but remembering everything I had to do made me feel stressed and anxious.

I glanced around me, mentally picking out books that I had already read, and spotting a few that looked interesting, even from my place in my chair, but I was too lazy to get up and actually look at them. Thinking about books always lifted my spirits just a little. So many times, books had helped me get through whatever I was facing. So often, I had found comfort and even friendship inside the pages of a book, but now, somehow I knew even my favorite books wouldn't really help.

I folded my arms on the table and rested my head against them. Why did my thoughts keep going to him? What made me think that he would make me feel better when nothing else would? It was stupid.

But still, I thought, what will it hurt to try? He may be lonely too... who knows how his friends are acting.

I stood up, let out one long breathe, and grabbed a scratch piece of parchment and a quill off the long desk in the library. Quickly, before I lost my nerve, I wrote:

**Draco, If you aren't busy this afternoon, I'm going to be in the Room of Requirement... you could come meet me if you want. There is nothing wrong, so don't feel like you have to come. If you are busy, or just don't want to, I understand. **

**See you later, or not, either way is fine... really**

**Hermione**

I really hoped he wouldn't feel like he had to come, but there wasn't enough room to write much else.

I made my way up to the owlery and called Hedwig down from the banisters. I knew Harry would be furious that I was using his owl to send a note to Draco, and that made me smile.

"Take this to Draco Malfoy for me, okay Hedwig?" I asked sweetly.

I could have sworn Hedwig looked at me suspiciously, but I quickly dismissed it. Surely the owls didn't take part in all the house rivalry mess, too.

As soon as Hedwig took off, I went out the door of the owlery and walked quickly to the room of requirement. I paced the hall in front of where I knew the door would appear, and thought "I need somewhere Draco and I can hang out, somewhere that no one else can find." In my mind three times before a simple grey door appeared in front of me.

I walked through the door and was amazed at what I saw. There was a huge leather couch sitting a few feet in front of the wall to my left, and in front of that was a long coffee table covered with cheese platters, pastries, crackers, chips, fruit and drinks. But it was what I saw on the other side of that table that really surprised me. Directly across from the couch, sat a huge entertainment center. Sitting in the middle of it, was a large-screen TV. I crossed the room slowly to where the television was. Sitting on top of the TV was a DVD player, and to either side were two large speakers. I opened the cabinet beneath the TV and saw that it was filled with DVDs, at least a hundred of them.

"What in the world?" I said aloud, completely confused. A TV and DVD player... at Hogwarts?

I had no doubt that Draco wouldn't even know what a television was. What if he was completely freaked out by it? What if he refused to have anything to do with something that is so clearly a "muggle" thing? It could be worse, I suddenly thought, he probably won't even come.

I finally stopped gawking at the huge TV and turned around to look at the rest of the room. Now that I looked, it was amazing that my eyes had gone to the TV first at all. The wall opposite the door was almost nothing but glass. There was an amazing view of the forbidden forest, and the mountains behind it. I turned around slowly, making a circle so that I could look at the rest of the room. Along the same wall as the door, there was a large bookcase, filled with books of all different colors and sizes. Beside the book case there was a large trunk. I walked over and lifted the heavy lid, curious to see what inside. Once the lid was completely open, I saw that the trunk was holding dozens of muggle board games... Monopoly, Twister, Scrabble... the same games I had played as a child.

Suddenly, I felt very nervous. Why had the Room of Requirement done this? There was no way Draco would enjoy doing all these muggle things with me. He would just be reminded of my muggle parents, of my muggle up bringing... be reminded that I'm a mudblood. I swallowed loudly and turned in the direction of the couch just in time to see the door open.

Draco walked through the door, his eyes flickering around the room for a fraction of a second before settling on me. He smiled at me, and I instantly felt better.

"You came." I said, the words came out sounding more relieved than I had intended, but he didn't seem to notice, or if he did, he didn't mind.

"Of course I came, I was afraid not to."

Oh no, I thought, feeling almost panicked, he thought he had to come and now... now he'll be so angry when he realizes I just wanted to hang out. I thought I made it clear that it wasn't important...

My thoughts trailed off as I looked up at him and saw him smirking back at me.

"I'm just kidding with you, Granger, you only told me I didn't have to come about fifty times."

"Oh" I said, feeling relieved, but also slightly embarrassed because of his teasing.

Briefly, it occurred to me how often my emotions changed when I was around him. I could go from elated to panicked in a matter of seconds just from him looking at me a certain way, or saying a simple word. Still, no matter how many times my breath caught in my throat from nerves, or how often my heart pounded in my chest or stopped beating all together because of worry... I still felt better with him than I ever did with anyone else. Before I could consider how odd that was, he interrupted my thoughts.

"Umm, Granger" He said slowly, glancing around the room that must have looked so strange to him, "What's all this?"

He didn't seem upset or negative in anyway- just curious, so I just smiled at him and tried my best to explain.

"Well.. I'm not really sure. I mean, I know what it all is. I'm just not sure why its here, I guess."

He still looked confused, as anyone would have after that poor excuse for an explanation, so I tried again.

"I was wanting somewhere that we could just hang out, and this is what I got. It makes sense to me in a way, but then.. its also very confusing. This is all- well, I don't know how else to say it other than just spitting it out- its all for entertainment. It's all... muggle stuff." I said the last two words very quietly, wishing I could have explained without using that word.

I expected him to leave, or get angry, or maybe look disgusted. I did not expect him to laugh.

I raised an eyebrow at him and watched him as he walked across the room and sat on the large leather couch, popping a grape in his mouth. He reached across the couch and picked up the TV control, studying it for a second before sitting it back down.

"What's wrong with you, Granger?" He asked, sarcastically.

"Nothing is wrong with me." I said, slowly, still waiting for the other shoe to drop. "I guess I just thought you would be upset."

"Upset? Oh, because I'm in a room with 'muggle' things, you mean?" He said it in a way that suddenly made me feel very silly for ever thinking that- embarrassed almost.

I nodded and walked across the room to sit on the other end of the couch.

"I thought we had discussed this. I'm not the person you think I am." He shook his head and chuckled to himself before picking the TV control up again.

"So, back to my original question- what is all this? Not who invented it, or where it came from- just what is does."

I rolled my eyes at him, and motioned towards the object in his hand "That is a TV control. You point it at that black box, that's the TV. Each button has a different function, to change it from one channel to another, to make it louder or quieter, stuff like that."

"Channels?" He interrupted.

"Its difficult to explain without just showing you, here." I said, taking the control from him and pushing the power button. "Each channel is showing something different.. news, weather, sports. Kind of like the floo network- each fireplace is a different house, with different people. Each channel is a different show, with different people, different things, different purposes."

Draco nodded slowly, but he was still looking at the TV like it was about to attack him, so I decided to move to something else.

"The small box on top of the TV is a DVD player. It plays discs that contain movies. Each movie is like its own mini-channel. It only shows one thing- the same thing over and over again. Like a play- its actors acting out a story. You can stop it, go backwards and watching a part again, or skip through to your favorite part."

He nodded again, but this time he looked slightly less confused.

"That make a little more sense than the TV thing... seems less troublesome, anyway."

A few hours later, we had just finished the DVD Draco picked out- The Wizard of Oz.

"That was ridiculous, Granger." He said, glancing at me sideways, still staring at the screen- watching the credits roll- with his mouth open.

I reached over and grabbed a bowl of chips off the table, and leaned back against the end of the couch, curling my legs up underneath me, and trying not to laugh. I had seen this coming.

"Its a children's movie, Draco. You can't take it so seriously." I said, incredulously.

"Is that really what muggles think of us? They think wizards are just little old men hiding behind a curtain?" He seemed completely disgusted at the thought, but I was finding it hard not to laugh.

"You are thinking about this all wrong. They don't think about us at all. They don't even know we exist... isn't that part of the point? We are supposed to keep it a secret, remember? Seriously, Malfoy, you would think you were the one with muggle parents."

As soon as he turned to face me I knew I was in trouble... it was written all over his face. I tried to jump up, but he was too quick for me and before I knew it, he had crossed the length of the couch, coming to a stop when he was right in front of me. I paused awkwardly, half way between sitting and standing, just long enough to give him the chance to dump the bowl of chips over my head.

My knees buckled beneath me and I sat back down on the couch with more force than I would have normally. Draco had backed up some, but was still no more than a few inches away from me- a pleased smirk crossing his face.

"I. can't. believe. you just. did that." I stammered, staring at him as chip crumbs continue to fall out of my hair.

He reached out and combed some of the larger greasy pieces out of my hair, and the grin spread across his face even wider.

"Of course you can, Granger. I'm Draco Malfoy, evil Slytherin, remember?"

I rolled my eyes at him and shoved him with my hand.

"Yeah, real scary. I hope I live through the potato-chip assault."

"Not scary, huh? You aren't scared of me?" He asked, still smirking at me.

"Nope" I said, shaking my head and grinning at him.

He nodded his head slowly, like he was thinking about something, and then he lunged.

He grabbed me around my waist and slung me over his shoulder, sending potato chips and crumbs flying.

"Draco! What are you doing? Let me go this instant!" I demanded, trying to decide if he really would hurt me or not.

He turned himself around so that he was kneeling on the couch, facing the back of it, and hoisted me off his shoulder and hung me off the back of the couch, holding me by my knees.

I squealed and tried to wiggle out of his grasp, but he was stronger than I would have thought.

"What's the matter? Thought you weren't scared?" He asked teasingly, laughing.

"What's the matter with you? I thought you didn't want me to be scared of you anymore."

"I don't want you to be scared, I just don't want you to forget that I can be scary if I want to be." He said, still laughing.

He swayed his arms back and forth, jostling my body as he did so. I tried shimmying out of his grasp again, and I almost succeeded. Almost.

I did get lose, but what I hadn't thought about was what would happen when I did get out of his grasp... there was nothing stopping me from toppling to the ground. Draco reached out quickly, grabbing my the best that he could, but his actions were too quick, or he leaned over the high back of the couch too far... for whatever reason, I did go topping to the ground, and I took him and the couch with me.

Somehow Draco managed to swing me out of the way of the couch, at least mostly. The bottom half of my right leg got caught underneath it, but I barely noticed. I couldn't focus on what was holding my leg down when something very different was pinning the top half of my body to the ground.

I let out the breath I hadn't realized I was holding, and glanced up to see Draco's dark grey eyes looking back at me. Almost his entire body was pressed up against mine, and I suddenly felt like I couldn't breathe.

I blinked a few times, and shook my head- trying desperately to clear it- before I looked at him again. I lifted my eyes just as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Are you okay?" He asked, sincerely, worry crossing his facing.

I nodded slowly, afraid that if I opened my mouth the wrong words would come out. He was holding himself up on his elbows now, so I couldn't feel the wait of his body on mine, but I could feel the heat radiating off of him- it seemed to burn my skin, right through my clothes.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. I was just kidding around. I swear, I didn't mean to hurt you." He said, still sounding worried.

I didn't know what to say. What I wanted to say was that I wasn't okay- that I was completely terrified, for a very different reason than I had ever experienced before. I wanted to tell him that I probably would be in pain if there was any room in my head to process anything other than desperately not wanting him to move.

But, obviously, I couldn't say any of those things. Not to him.

"I'm okay, really." I finally managed to say, "Just a little startled."

"Startled? Of course. I'm a little startled myself." He stammered, still staring right at me. And then he started laughing, really laughing, harder than I had ever heard him laugh before.

At first I was confused, what was so funny? But as soon as I thought that question to myself, I realized how silly it was. What part of this wasn't funny? I felt a smile cross my face, and before I knew it, I was laughing too.

Still laughing, Draco pulled himself up on his knees and lifted the couch up far enough that I could pull my leg out.

He looked up at the ceiling, shaking his head, and I knew he was trying to clear his thoughts- trying to get a grip. I tried to stop myself from laughing, knowing that as long as I was giggling, he would be hard pressed to stop.

I sat up a little, propping myself up on my elbows and looking at him, still smiling, but no longer laughing.

"This probably isn't exactly what you expected when you invited me today, huh?" He asked, still chuckling softly.

I shook my head, and said "I didn't even expect you to come."

"Why didn't you think I would come?"

"I don't know." I said, shrugging, really hoping he wouldn't press the matter further.

Draco didn't say anything. He just scooted over a little so that he was sitting closer to me. Then he moved himself up, and stretched his long legs out, pulling mine up in his lap. My heart beat wildly and my breath completely stopped. What was he doing? Didn't he realize that when he touched me, I lost my senses? Of course he doesn't know that, I thought to myself, you certaintly haven't told him and he can't read your mind.

I looked at him expectantly, and saw that he was looking at me cautiously, the expression on his face very careful- calculated almost.

"Is it okay if I look at your leg?" Surely he wasn't talking as slowly as it sounded. His words hit me one at a time, entering my mind sluggishly.

I just stared at him, begging myself to answer, but my mind couldn't form the words. When I didn't say anything, he spoke again.

"I want to make sure it is okay, but if you would rather me take you to the hospital wing--"

"No!" Draco looked taken aback by the sharpness in my voice. Even I was a little surprised.

"It's okay, you can look at if you want, but I really think its okay. It barely even hurts." I said, shrugging, trying to act like it wasn't a big deal that my legs were laid across his lap. Like it wasn't driving me close to the brink of madness that we were sitting so close to one another- so casually, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Watching him pull the hem of my pants leg up, bringing it up to my knee, closely examining my calf with his large, gentle hands, I suddenly had the strangest feeling. It hit me all at once- so strongly that I had to focus really hard on not crying. I couldn't quite put my finger on the feeling... but it was familiar. I bit my lip, trying to remember when I had felt this way before, but my thoughts weren't coming in sequence- there was no order to them, no rhyme or reason, just random scattered images flashed through my mind. I thought of spending the night away from home when I was little, coming to Hogwarts for the first time, being away from my friends all summer. Homesickness I suddenly realized... it was the same sick feeling I felt in the pit of my stomach when I was a little girl and wanted to go home in the middle of the night, the same feeling I had the first couple of weeks every summer when I missed my school and my friends so badly it hurt. But, why...

I miss him, I thought, even though he is sitting right here with me, I miss him. As soon as the words ran through my mind I realized how true they were, even if they didn't make sense to me. I gasped slightly, and looked up at him, eyes wide, mouth open with realization.

His hand froze on my leg, and he looked up at me.

"Did that hurt?" He asked, his pale brows knitted together.

I shook my head, smiling to myself. It did hurt, but not the way he meant.


	9. Chapter 9

**Fact 1: **Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling.

**Fact 2: **I am not her.

**Conclusion: **It isn't mine.

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**AN: This chapter is a little shorter than the last ones have been... but I still think you will like it, at least I hope so :)**

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"Its just after 6. We could still get down to supper... wouldn't be too late."

"Not really hungry." I said, shaking my head.

Draco had decided that my leg was okay, just bruised, and that a trip to the hospital wing wouldn't be necessary. We were sitting in the floor, me leaning against the wall, legs stretched out to the sofa, him facing me, his legs bent slightly, too long to stretch out completely. We hadn't said a whole lot, and I knew it was my fault. I wasn't being very good company. My mind was still running in circles.

More than once I wondered why he didn't leave, but he just sat there, pulling at a loose thread in his jeans.

"So, have you talked to Scar Head and Tag-along yet?" He asked, grinning at me.

I rolled my eyes, but couldn't help but smile. The way I was feeling towards them, he could call them whatever he wanted.

"Nope. They sent Ginny in as their spokesperson." I said. I knew he would have something to say about that.

"Ha!" He snorted, "They sent Weaslette in to do their bidding for them? I guess I shouldn't be surprised..." He said, shaking his head.

I smiled at him, glad that I at least knew him well enough to predict his response to something... no matter how small.

"I'm sorry Hermione" He said, his voice now sounding very sincere.

"Sorry?" I asked, confused. What had he done?

"I feel like this is all my fault. You have been dragged into my world, and now its messing everything up for you. You are scared out of your mind all the time, can't sleep... you hardly eat. And now you don't even have any friends."

I was about to tell him that it wasn't his fault... that he wasn't responsible for what his dad did, but when he said the last part I forgot what I was going to say. I swallowed hard, and told myself not to cry.

"Hermione?" He asked, slowly, trying to catch my eye.

I looked up from the floor, and raised an eyebrow at him.

"What did I say? I didn't mean to upset you, I just..." He trailed off without finished the sentence.

This was normally something I would lie about, but my mind wasn't even coherent enough to form a lie, so I was left with nothing but the truth.

"You said... but, I thought... I thought you were my friend." I said, quietly, looking back down at the floor. I realized, somewhere in the back of my mind, that I should have been embarrassed for saying that, but I couldn't be. I felt oddly numb. I had really thought that we were friends now. The little bit of doubt I had before had mostly been erased when he showed up today... and completely erased when we had actually had fun. But now... now he was saying I didn't have any friends, so clearly I had been wrong.

I didn't realize Draco had moved until I felt his hand underneath my chin, lifting my face up until my eyes were level with his.

"Of course I am your friend." He said, sincerely. "I didn't think before I said that, I just know how hard it must be for you to lose all of your old friends. I know I'm a pretty inadequate replacement, but I am your friend and I will be for as long as you want me."

His hand was still on my face, holding it up gently, as he looked at me waiting on a response. His dark grey eyes were staring straight into my own, so intensely that I almost wanted to look away, but I couldn't. I was completely and entirely transfixed.

"Hermione?" He said softly as his thumb moving lightly, back and forth along my jaw.

I nodded slightly to show that I was listening.

"Hermione, I want to try something." He said, very carefully, his eyes never moving from mine.

I nodded again, and just as I was about to open my mouth to ask what he wanted, his lips were on mine. The last coherent thought I formed was how his lips molded perfectly against mine... and then my mind stopped working completely. He kissed me for just a moment before pulling away and looking at me carefully, his hand still cupping my chin.

He started to move backward, away from me, probably because of the shocked expression on my face, but I didn't want him to move... I couldn't let him. Just as he brought his hand away from my face, I took it in my hand and pulled us closer together. I brought my hand up and ran one finger down his face- from his cheekbone to his jaw. I hooked my thumb under his chin and softly ran my finger across his bottom lip. His mouth part slightly in reaction to this, and I looked up to find his eyes looking back at me - warm and inviting.

Once again, his lips captured mine, and this time, I didn't even try to think. I simply let him kiss me.

His lips were so soft and warm against mine, moving slowly and carefully at first, and then becoming more firm. His left hand was around my waist, holding me close to him, and his right hand was in my hair, moving lightly along the base of my neck.

He started teasing my lips with his, pulling at them lightly. Then he ran his tongue across my bottom lip, and tingles ran along my spine, down my arms and legs... across my whole body. I parted my mouth for him, granting him the access he was looking for and threw both my arms around his neck in an effort to keep myself grounded, balanced. He kissed me deeply, his tongue plunging into my mouth, dancing with my own, and I kiss him back greedily, suddenly feeling like I couldn't get enough of him.

I felt his hand move from my hair to my back and then I was leaning backward, and onto the floor. I pulled away from him slightly, just long enough to give myself a chance to breathe, but his lips never left my skin. He left a trail of soft, warm kisses along the line of my jaw, down one side and back again, until I caught his mouth with my own. I kissed him with more force this time, and he responded with just as much urgency. Suddenly, it was as if we didn't have enough hands. Mine were on his chest, in his hair, brushing lightly across his lower back, underneath the waste band of his jeans, and I could feel his all over me. No sooner did my mind register "hand, on hip" than it had moved and was making tiny little circles along the small of my back.

I could stay like this forever. Lying in the floor, cramped between the sofa and the wall, kissing Draco Malfoy. Surely kissing wasn't always this fun? I couldn't remember anymore. This was the only kissing that existed- his tongue swirling around my mouth, his lips crushed against mine, his hands against my skin, our hearts pounding in our chests- nothing mattered but this.

He was the one to pull away this time, his breath coming as ragged as my own. He paused for a second and looked at me- his deep grey eyes boring into mine. His face was no more than a couple of inches, but he wasn't close enough. He reached his hand out, cupping my cheek, and I leaned into his touch, welcoming the warmth that came with it.

"Hermione, I... " He said quietly, his voice barely a whisper, but before he could continue, I stopped him with my mouth.

I brought my lips to his, lightly and softly, and he didn't try to stop me. He pulled my lower lip into his mouth and sucked on it lightly. I groaned into his mouth involuntarily, and I felt his hands tightened on my face and waist. Instinctively I knew that I should stop him... that if I didn't do it now, I never would, but I couldn't make myself pull away from him.

I didn't have to make that choice, because he seemed to be reading my thoughts, and pulled away from me instead. I inhaled sharply, and closed my eyes, trying to clear my thoughts. It wasn't easy. My skin still burned, my stomach was still knotted, my lips still tingled, and he was still far too close for my mind to function correctly.

"We should stop." He said firmly, and I wondered if he was saying it for my benefit, or for his own.

I nodded slightly, and lifted myself up, leaning against the wall, giving myself some distance from him. This simple action took more effort than I could have ever imagined, like we were magnets with our polarity perfectly matched- pulling my body away from his took more willpower than I knew I had.

Draco leaned up against the couch, and ran his fingers through his tousled hair. When our breathing returned to normal, he looked at me again expectantly. Should I say something? I wondered, probably... but what?

"So, that was... " I finally said, not entirely sure what I was going to say

"Yeah," He said, nodding at me "it was."

We sat there for a moment, stealing glances at each other and taking turns staring at the floor and ceiling. One of us was going to have to say something, but neither was volunteering. Suddenly, I felt embarrassed. Sure, he had kissed me first, but did I have to get carried away like that? Now he probably thought I was some common tramp. If nothing else, I needed to explain to him that that was certainly not the case. But how could I do that without telling him how I really felt about him? If I told him I didn't normally do stuff like that, wouldn't he want to know what made me do it now? And then... then I would have to tell him the truth. I would have to tell him that I can't get my mind off of him, that now when I can't fall asleep its because I miss him- not because I'm scared, that I miss him all the time, even when he is sitting right beside me, because close is never close enough. I would have to tell him that I like him, and care about him far more than he realizes... and I didn't know if I was ready for that.

Now or never, Granger, I told myself, You may never get another chance. Is that a regret you are willing to live with? Never telling him how you feel?

I knew, without really thinking about it that, no, I couldn't live that particular regret, no matter what happened.

"Draco, I need to say something to you." I said, quietly, but still as firmly as I could manage.

He looked up at me, and nodded, but he looked hesitant... worried almost.

"I don't normally do stuff like that, I don't know what came over me." I paused, and shook my head. "That's not true, I know exactly what came over me, and that's what I need to talk to you about."

"I know, it's all my fault, and I'm sorry--" he started, but I stopped him.

"No, please. Don't blame yourself, and please don't be sorry. I don't think I could handle it if you were sorry... just let me finish, okay? Then you can say whatever you want." I said, pleading, hoping desperately that the only reason he was saying he was sorry was because he thought I was upset with him. At least, that's what I was going to tell myself until he told me otherwise.

"I haven't been completely honest with you. I haven't lied, but I still haven't been entirely truthful. We agreed to be friends, and at first that made me really happy. You were right earlier, this has all be really hard on me- and losing my friends, if that does happen, will be one of the hardest things I've ever been through. But, despite all that, through all of that, you have helped me and been there for me. You've been the one bright spot in this mess, and knowing that you wanted, or needed me as a friend too made me so happy. But then, earlier today, I couldn't stop thinking about you. I tried... I tried thinking about anything else, but everything reminded me of you. And that's why I asked you to come here. It didn't seem like anything else would make me feel better, so even though I didn't think you would come... it was a chance I had to take." I took a deep breath, and continued "But then, I still missed you. Even with you sitting right here beside me... I realized that I felt homesick, but it wasn't home I wanted. It was you."

I looked up at him, trying to gauge his reaction. He looked confused, but his features were soft, urging me to go on.

"I know that doesn't make any sense. It doesn't make sense to me, but every time you touched me, every time you were close to me, I felt like my skin alive. And then when you kissed me, it all made sense. That's what I had been missing, that feeling, even though I never knew it existed." I shrugged slightly, and looked away from him, afraid of what he was about to say- or do.

I looked across the room, out the large window at the dark sky... the large moon in the distance, the thousands of stars. It was hard to believe that we had been here together all day. Were people looking for me? Were people looking for him? Had anyone noticed that we were both missing? Did I care if they did..? Not really.

I looked back at him just in time to see him open his mouth to speak.

"You're better at this than I am, you know?" He said, smirking at me slightly.

My brows furrowed together, and I looked at him questioningly, what was he talking about?

"You figured it out before I did... I didn't realize what was going on until it happened, and even then, my mind was reeling way too fast for me to keep up. It took you explaining it to me, but I get it now, Granger." He looked at me through the strands of blonde hair that had fallen in his face.

"I think I'm confused." I said, slowly.

"Confused? Oh, everything else you get... but me saying I feel the same way, that confuses you?" He asked, laughing softly to himself, shaking his head.

Once I understood what he had just said, I thought I would burst. He felt the same way? A huge grin broke out across my face, and he grinned back at me.

Without thinking, I threw myself at him, hurling myself into his arms, burying my face in his chest and flinging my arms around his neck.

"What's this for?" He asked, wrapping his arms tightly around me, laughing.

"Nothing." I said against his chest.

"Nothing, huh?" He asked, teasingly, tickling my ribs as he spoke, "Then why do I get the idea that you are happy about something?"

I giggled, and wriggled in his arms, trying to get away from the hands that were tickling me, but he held me firmly against him.

"Nope. You aren't going anywhere... now that I've got you, this is where you will stay."

He had stopped tickling me, so I fell back against him, perfectly content to stay.

"You can't be very comfortable, though" He said, after a minute.

"I'm very comfortable" I said, stubbornly, not wanting to move, even though my knees were starting to hurt from me sitting on them.

He chuckled, and lifted me off of him, standing up and reaching his hand out to me. I pouted up at him, and folded my arms across my chest.

"I'm not getting rid of you, Granger, just moving us somewhere more comfortable." He said, reaching his hand out again. This time I took it, and allowed him to pull me to the front of the leather sofa.

He laid down, his back against the back of the sofa, facing me. He stretched his arms out and motioned for me to join him, so I laid down, my back against him, his arms circled around my waist.

We stayed like that for a few minutes before either of us said anything.

"Granger?" He said, tapping me on the shoulder.

"Yes?" I said, trying not to laugh.

"I don't like this." He whined.

"Don't like what? Do you want me to move?" I asked, and crossed my fingers on both hands, praying that he wouldn't say yes.

"Yes."

My heart sank, but I shifted my weight so that I could sit up more easily. Before I got far, and tightened his grip on me.

"I don't want you to get up. I just want you to turn around. I'm tired of looking at the back of your head." He said simply, and I couldn't help but laugh.

I turned myself around so that I was facing him, and the closeness of his face startled me. He looked so prefect, even this close up. His eyes were the most perfect color of grey, almost silver when the light hit them just right. His features were so smooth, so perfectly straight. I closed my eyes tightly and tried to imprint the image of his face in my mind, incase someday it was all I had.

My thoughts surprised me, and I shuddered involuntarily. Draco tightened his arms around me, pulling me closer against his chest.

"Are you cold?" He asked, his mouth right against my ear.

I shook my head, and lifted my face up to kiss him on the jaw.

"What are we doing, Draco?" I asked, before I even thought about what I was saying. I hoped he didn't get the wrong idea. I liked what we were doing, loved it actually, but I just needed to know what this was.

"We are going what makes us happy." He said, simply. "At least that's what I'm doing. How about you, Hermione? Are _you _doing what you want to do?" He asked, and pressed his lips against my neck right under my ear, causing me to shiver again.

I nodded and rested my head back against his chest, smiling to myself.


	10. Chapter 10

**Fact 1: Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling**

**Fact 2: I am not her**

**Conclusion: It isn't mine**

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**A/N: I know I keep saying that I will update more often, and I really do try... but I've come to realize that most of the time, I will get a new chapter up once a week. That's about the best I can do right now. Also, I want to say thank you, again, to those of you that are leaving reviews and/or adding me to your alerts/favorites list. I wish you could all be here when I get those emails- I look like Hermione does for a lot of this chapter- grinning like an idiot ;) Okay... go read! I hope you enjoy it!**

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I woke up feeling groggy with a dull heaviness in my head. Even before I opened my eyes, I was completely disoriented. Why was I lying in such a strange position? I shifted my weight, trying to get off of my right arm which was cramped underneath me, but something stopped me.

I opened my eyes and had to fight the urge to jump right off the couch. Suddenly, it all came flooding back to me. I remembered how Draco's hands felt against my skin, how his mouth felt against mine. I shivered, and his arms tightened around me.

I sighed and smiled to myself. I never wanted to leave, but as much as I wanted to lock myself up with Draco forever, I knew the real world was waiting for me somewhere, and I couldn't put it on hold forever. I lifted his right arm off of my waist as slowly as possible, and shimmied myself off of the couch. I stood up, slid my shoes on, and walked out the door, down the corridor, and back to Gryffindor tower.

The halls were empty as I made my way quietly through the castle, and luckily, so was Gryffindor common room. I got up to my room and looked at the clock beside my bed, just after 2. No wonder I didn't feel sleepy, I must have slept for almost seven hours. That was more sleep than I had gotten in weeks.

Even alone in my room, I blushed as I thought about the probable reason why I had slept so well. I laid back on my bed, putting my arms behind my head, and ran the events of the day through my mind. It had never even occurred to me that Draco might feel the same way about me as I did about him. It never even crossed my mind that it was a possibility. He was Draco Malfoy, after all. Even if people were scared of him, that didn't stop girls from biting their lips and whispering naughty things to their friends as he passed by. I had always been one of the few girls in Hogwarts that didn't entertain thoughts of him in broom closets, behind the quidditch pitch, in the Room of Requirement...

I rolled over and buried my head in my pillow, trying to wipe the grin off my face. Even if I couldn't sleep, I couldn't lie here thinking about Draco until time for breakfast. After weeks of moping around, looking like a zombie, someone would surely have me shipped off to St. Mungos if I walked into the Great Hall grinning from ear to ear.

Thinking about walking into the Great Hall, going to class, just going about a normal day made my heart sink. How would Draco treat me now? Would he ignore me like he usually did? Go back to calling me names like before? If he really felt the same way about me as I did about him, he couldn't do that... could he?

I sat up abruptly, causing my head to spin. Things didn't seem so wonderful now that I thought about them realistically. What if Draco didn't really mean those things he said? What if he just thought it would be fun to take advantage of how I felt?

He wouldn't do that, a voice in my head said, you know him, Hermione. You know he isn't like that.

"Yeah" I said out loud, trying to convince myself.

Still, it was becoming more and more difficult to believe that Draco Malfoy really wanted to be with me. After all the names he had called me, all the terrible things he had said about me... what had I done to change his mind? Nothing.

I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. It reminded me of walking into a heated house after a day in the snow. The change was too much, and my stomach flipped. I laid back down, curling myself into the fetal position, and focused very hard on not crying.

Mentally, I compared the things that were facts to the things that were possibilities. I knew that Draco and I had been getting along well. I knew that he had been nothing but kind to me and had gone out of his way to make me feel comfortable. I knew that he had agreed to meet me, for no other reason than because I asked and even when he saw for himself that I just wanted to hang out with him- he stayed and watched a silly muggle movie with me. I knew that we had fun, and I knew that he kissed me. A kiss that made my skin tingle and my heart flutter. I knew that he held me in his arms until he both fell asleep, and that when I woke up, there was nowhere else in the world I wanted to be. Those were the things I knew to be true.

All the negative things, the things that made me want to vomit and cry all at the same time... those were just possibilities. It was possible that Draco regretted kissing me, possible that he never really cared about me in the first place. It was possible that he would go back to treating me like his enemy, possible that he would pretend I didn't even exist. Sure, those things were possible... anything is possible, but why ruin all the wonderful true things by worrying about things that may or may not be true? I would cross those bridges when I got to them, but until then, I was going to run the memory of Draco kissing me over and over in my mind and smile until my jaw ached.

Proud of myself for thinking through it logically, and still managing to think positively, I rolled over and fell asleep thinking of Draco Malfoy.

As I walked to the Great Hall for breakfast, I coached myself on not looking at the Slytherin table. I wouldn't do it, no matter how badly I wanted to. If bright blue flames came shooting up from the middle of their table, I would walk right past and sit down in my seat.

Turns out, not looking was much easier in theory than in actual execution.

As soon as I walked through the heavy double doors, I felt that magnetic pull again. I mentally chastised myself. This was so silly! I didn't even know if he was in here or not... except that, somehow, I felt like I did. I could feel him in the room. I looked up at the ceiling, trying to force myself to focus, and when I looked back down I saw that people were turning to look at me. I hadn't realized until then that I had come to a completely stop in the Great Hall.

Looking at the floor, I made my way to the Gryffindor table, allowing my gaze to fall on the Slytherins only when I was almost there. My eyes automatically went to Draco, and my stomach did back flips when I saw that he was looking at me, as well. He smiled at me quickly, his lips barely curving up- something I doubted anyone else even noticed, but with that one simple gesture, my shoulders felt instantly lighter.

Sitting through breakfast was awkward. Harry and Ron weren't speaking to me, and Ginny only wanted to asked judgmental questions: "What is wrong with you?", "Why are you smiling so much today?", "Are you taking some kind of drugs?"

The third degree went on and on. At one point, I actually tried to casually lean across the table to see if she had a list of questions hidden in her lap.

I was trying really hard not to let it get me ruin my good mood, but sitting at the breakfast table watching Harry and Ron talk to everyone around me and glance over me like I was invisible was tough. So much for being afraid I was going to grin like an idiot all day. Breakfast was definitely killing my buzz.

Eventually, I grew tired of shaking my head, giving pointed looks and saying, "No, Ginny!", so I left my breakfast unfinished.

"Bye" I said to no one in particular, since none of them really cared if I was there or not, and stood up to leave.

No longer caring what anyone thought, I glanced over at the Slytherin table. Draco was looking at his food, twirling his fork around his plate with a look of deep concentration on his face. I smiled to myself and was turning to leave when he looked up and caught my eye. He grinned at me for half a second, and then a look of confusion crossed his face. Apparently I looked more upset than I had realized. I shrugged lightly, gave him one last smile, and turned and walked out into the hall.

My first two classes weren't much better than breakfast. I sat in my usual seat, beside Harry, but after about five minutes I wished I hadn't. He looked like he was going to say something to me once, but Ron cleared his throat loudly and started talking to him. Guess I shouldn't have been surprised that Ron was the master mind behind the silent treatment. Harry really hated any kind of confrontation... probably because the trivial things like who was friends with who, and why someone was mad seemed pretty insignificant when compared to fighting for your life.

Time moved impossibly slow, seeming to almost stop completely as it neared time for our third class- Potions, with Slytherin. Just thinking about being in the same room as Draco, even if sitting with him was impossible made me feel better. My intense anxiety slowly began turning into an easy calm. Just being near him made me feel more at ease... safer. That had really been the case from the start, before I understood my feelings before him, before we were even friends... I had felt oddly safe with him. There was just something about him… a quality that was hard to put my finger on exactly, but I felt like if the sky fell, he would come to me.

Under normal circumstances, I would have been really upset with myself for becoming one of "those girls" that spends all their time thinking about a boy... daydreaming about him, missing him, counting down minutes until they see him again, but I simply didn't have room in my mind for any more emotions. Instead, I just told myself that I was only feeling all of these things so strongly because it had taken me so long to understand what I was feeling... the build up of emotion was all coming to the surface, but once I was used to it I would be able to function like a normal person again. Right? Right.

Draco was already in potions when I walked into the classroom, and a huge grin broke out across my face before I could stop myself. At least the door was in the back of the classroom and no one saw me... no one except Professor Snape.

"Is something wrong, Miss Granger?" He drawled, sounding like he could not have cared less.

I felt the blood rush to my cheeks as everyone turned to look at me, most of them just looked curious or amused, but Draco looked slightly concerned. That made me happy, in spite of my self. Professor Snape might not have cared if something was wrong with me, but Draco did.

"No, professor. Nothing at all." I said, trying my best to sound pleasant as I lowered myself into my usual chair near the back.

"Curious." He said, simply, throwing his gaze at Draco once before re-focusing on me. "You come dragging in here like the living dead for weeks, barely aware that the world is even going on around you. Not talking. Not smiling. Not raising your hand, eager to show off that you are so much more intelligent than the rest of us. You are even behind on your studies, are you not?" He asked, rising from his desk, and walking toward me slowly as every pair of eyes followed him.

I looked down at my desk, and back up at him, not sure if he was actually expecting an answer, but absolutely sure that I didn't want to give him one.

"And yet, today, you walk in here grinning like you have just won some grand prize." He paused, smirking at me ironically before continuing. "I must say, Miss Granger, I am perplexed."

I kept my eyes on him, still unsure of what to say. He couldn't seriously be asking me to explain the change in my mood to him, could he? Again, I considered how much he had actually seen that night in the Great Hall. Had Professor Snape been in on my secret before I was in on it myself?

"I am waiting, Miss Granger, and I assure you... I am not a patient man."

It was past time for class to start now, and almost all of the students were in their seats. A few were still standing just inside the door, glued to the spot, glancing around anxiously.

I wanted nothing more than to run out crying, what was I supposed to say to him anyway? I couldn't even think of a good lie, my mind was too muddled. I glanced around frantically, desperate for inspiration of any kind.

I was in luck.

Draco's eyes caught mine and he smiled at me warmly, nodding once. I didn't know what he wanted me to say, but his encouragement made me brave.

I look back up at Professor Snape, who was tapping his foot for effect, and smiled at him for a few seconds before saying "I appreciate your concern, Professor, but there is really no need. It just so happens that I slept extraordinarily well last night."

I smiled at him again, as a snarl crossed his lips. He narrowed his eyes at me, like he was trying to figure something out, snapped "Sit down and open your books" to the class, and turned on his heel, walking back to his desk.

Professor Snape didn't so much as breathe in my direction for the rest of the class period. I knew he was trying to make a point, but honestly, I kind of enjoyed it. He was never kind, and at least if he was ignoring me he couldn't call me a know it all, or take points from my house.

Luckily, he spent the entire time lecturing us on the potion we would be beginning next week, so I didn't have to worry about trying to work with Harry or Ron. Sitting beside them was hard enough, trying to create a potentially hazardous potion with them could have been disastrous.

Just as I was gathering my books up to leave, Crabbe and Goyle walked by and bumped into my arm, causing my books to spill out all over the floor. I looked up, half expecting someone to help me pick them up, but everyone had already gone. I kneeled down the floor, quickly scooped my books up into my arms, and hurried out the door before Snape had a chance to ask me any more questions.

I was about halfway down the hall when an arm reached out and grabbed me. I came to an abrupt halt and was jerked into a small corridor that veered off of the main hallway. I whipped around quickly, reaching for a wand inside my pocket, but when I looked up I smiled.

"Hey Granger." Draco said with a smirk, still holding me by the arm.

"Hello, Malfoy." I said, glancing over my shoulder.

"No one is going to see us, everyone is gone to lunch." He said quietly.

I frowned at the thought of enduring another meal like the one that morning, and shifted my books awkwardly in my arms. I had picked them all up so quickly that they were turned every which way, and some were poking me.

Draco studied my face for a moment, and then saw me fidgeting with my books. He let go of my arm and took my books from me, rearranging them so that they were all facing the same direction, and held them loosely at his side with his own.

'What's wrong?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

I bit my lip and quickly considered whether I should tell him the truth or not. I could easily say that I wasn't feeling well and thought I would skip lunch, but I knew it made him worry when I didn't eat, so that didn't seem like a very good idea.

"Breakfast was... Weird." I said, realizing that I wasn't exactly answering his question. At least I didn't lie.

He was quite for a minute, looking off at something past my shoulder.

"I'm sorry about that." He said, finally, and I could tell from the look in his eyes that he meant it. He still felt like this was his fault.

I tilted my head and looked at him incredulously.

"It isn't your fault that my friends are total gits." I said, smiling at him. "Besides, maybe lunch will be better. Ginny is still talking to me... not exactly my favorite kind of conversation... but hey, beggars can't be choosers, right?"

I kept the smile plastered on my face, but he didn't look like he was falling for it. Still, he shrugged his shoulders and said, "Alright, lets go."

As we made our way downstairs for lunch, I wondered at what point we would stop walking together. It didn't matter much to me anymore, all the people I really cared about already knew we were friends, and us walking to lunch together would give anything further away. I knew, though, that if we walked through those doors together, with everyone in there, it would be a big step. People would talk, rumors would fly, and more friends would probably be lost-- on my part, and his.

Just before we reached the doors of the Great Hall I stopped walking and reached out to take my books for Draco. I had actually intended on taking them back to my room before lunch, but I didn't want to have to leave him to do it, so I didn't say anything. He handed them over, and looked up at me.

"Well, this is it." He said, looking kind of nervous. Apparently his thoughts weren't too far from my own.

I nodded my head, and swallowed loudly. Briefly, I considered how silly it was to be this nervous walking into lunch, but I didn't think about it for long. Draco distracted me.

He reached out and took my hand in his, squeezing it lightly for a second before dropping it and saying. "Let's go, Granger, I'm hungry."

We both turned to face the double doors. I took a deep breath and pushed, and Draco Malfoy and I walked into the Great Hall together.

One small step for us, one giant leap for.….us.


	11. Chapter 11

**Fact 1:** Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling

**Fact 2:** I am not her.

**Conclusion:** It isn't mine.

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**A/N:** It's been less than a week.. aren't you proud? Anyway, I know this story seems to be moving pretty slow, but I'm just trying to lay the ground work of them figuring things out. I didn't want to rush that. I think it will start to move a little more quickly soon, but I can't make any promises. This story has already changed a lot from what I thought it would be. More than once, I've planned a chapter and when I started writing it, it just didn't fit, so I've been trying to just write what comes to me. Writing is funny that way- sometimes the story kind of helps write itself.

Thanks again to everyone for the reviews and for adding me to your favorites/alert lists. It seriously means so much to me that people are reading this and enjoying it. I love hearing what you think...reviews are truly lovely!

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I had been afraid that lunch would be as bad as breakfast. I was wrong. It was worse… and it was better. I felt like a thousand eyes were on me as Draco and I walked into the Great Hall together. We didn't walk in holding hands, and we didn't walk too close; had it been anyone else in the whole school that I had walked in like that with- no one would have given it a second thought. We just looked like friends, but that was the problem.

Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger were _not _friends. At least, that's what everyone thought. Everyone except for Harry, Ron, and Ginny, who all looked up at us briefly, rolled their eyes, and looked down at their plates. At least _they _weren't staring- but they were the only ones.

I don't think I took in a single breath the whole way to Gryffindor table. I just focused on staying upright and putting one foot in front of the other. I sat down across from Lavender Brown and offered her a strained smile. She gawked at me…. Mouth open, eyes wide, complete confusion written all over her face.

Suddenly, the buzz of whispering could be heard all over the Great Hall, coming from every table. All eyes were on me, and then, a few brave people started in with the questioning.

For someone who had felt completely alone the past few days… I suddenly had an awful lot of friends interested in knowing every detail of my life. Well, no, not every detail, just every Draco-related detail. 

Was he bribing me? Was I bribing him? Were we dating? Was the sex as good as everyone imagined it to be?

The relationship questions made me nervous. We hadn't exactly compared notes or discussed our story- what was he telling people? Before I could get a grasp on what would be the best answers, the _other _questions started coming in. Was I a spy for Dumbledore? Was he a spy for Voldermort? Those queries hit a little too close to home and for a second I was afraid someone had found out the truth… the whole truth.. .the truth that was much bigger than Draco and I being friends, dating, or kissing or having sex. But then I looked up at the expressions on everyone's faces and saw that they were only asking those questions with the same curiosity as the others. They just wanted the dirt.

I just wished I could know what Draco was saying. Instinctively I looked up and saw that no one was actually asking him anything. Oh, they were definitely staring, but no one was taking the initiative to actually vocalize the thoughts they were all having. I frowned to myself. That wasn't fair. Why did I always have to be the one getting the third degree?

Eventually, lunch ended and I was able to escape all the questions. I hadn't really told anyone anything. It seemed to me that this was one of those situations in which less was more. I said that we were friends, and that there was nothing else to tell. No strings, no conditions. We were friends and that if that wasn't okay with someone, they would just have to learn to live with it. I added that little part in because I knew my friends were listening, even if they weren't talking to or looking at me. I wanted them to understand that this wasn't something they could just ride out. I wasn't going to hate Draco Malfoy again next week, and there were just going to have to get used to that.

Defense Against the Dark Arts was easier than any other part of the day. It was the only other class, besides Potions, that we had with Slytherin, so I didn't have to worry with the intense anxiety that seemed to plague me when Draco wasn't around. We even braved walking to class together, and Draco didn't seem nearly as bothered by the stares and whispers as I was.

Harry and Ron still weren't speaking to me, but Harry did smile at me briefly as I sat down next to him and when I dropped my quill, he bent down and picked it up before I had the chance. Draco and I exchanged several glances across the aisle that separated my table from his, and a few smiles. I wondered when people would start noticing that we were paying much more attention to one another than to our other "friends". Some people already suspected that something else was going on… how much longer would we be able to deny that?

I hated that I had been lying so much recently. I had always prided myself on being a very honest person, but really, I couldn't tell the truth this time. I didn't even know what the truth was. People asked if we were dating… were we? I wasn't sure. Yes, we had kissed, and we had slept together- in the very literal sense, but that didn't constitute dating- not on its own. I knew what I wanted. I wanted all of him, all the time. But what did he want? Was I really just a friend to him? Hell, for all I knew, he spent time rolling around in the floor kissing all of his friends.

Suddenly an image of Draco snogging Goyle popped into my mind, and I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing out loud. Okay, so maybe not _all _of his friends.

Coming up with a solution proves very difficult when you only have half of the equation to work with, but that didn't stop me from trying.

My mind kept running away from me, making it all but impossible to focus on class. Idea after idea whirled around my brain, spinning circles of possibilities- some terrible, some so amazing they made my head spin. But what was really getting to me was that I had nothing to distinguish the real possibilities from the ridiculous notions because I had no idea what Draco was thinking.

I didn't see Draco again for the rest of the day. I tried to remember if I normally saw him between classes in the afternoon, but for some reason I couldn't. Still, I knew that I would see him at dinner, even if I couldn't talk to him.

But, as I walked through the doors of the Great Hall, I immediately noticed that he wasn't there. My heart sank. I had purposely made myself late so that I wouldn't have to watch the door waiting for him to come in, so why wasn't he here yet?

Supper ended, people started leaving, and eventually I had to get up too… but still no Draco. I walked to Gryffindor tower alone with a huge lump in my throat. I hadn't realized just how much I had been counting on seeing him. I was only going to have one class with him tomorrow, and even then I wouldn't exactly be able to talk to him. Could I make it all the way until tomorrow night? Would he even come meet me like he usually did? Everything was changing too much, too fast. No sooner did I think I knew 

where I stood, did something change. I felt like rugs were constantly being pulled out from under me- so fast and so often that I no longer felt like I was on solid ground at all.

I threw myself across my bed with a heavy sigh and stared at the ceiling. No one had even noticed as I walked through the common room. It almost made me angry, but then I remembered that I hadn't exactly made my presence known lately. They had just gotten used to me not being there, and that made me sad. At least they weren't gawking at me or firing off a string of intrusive questions. It could definitely be worse.

I was just about to fall asleep when I heard a tapping on my window. I sat up, and looked over to see a dark owl hovering just outside my room. I opened the window and he swooped in gracefully. The owl dropped a piece of parchment, hooted once, and flew out just as quickly as he had come in.

I sat down on my bed and opened up the parchment. I squeezed my eyes tight and thought "please let it be Draco" quickly before I lowered my eyes to read the words.

_Hermione, I'm there if you want to come meet me. _

_Draco_

_PS I miss you. _

I wanted to be embarrassed at how quickly I jumped off the bed and how sharply my mood was changed by such a simple letter, but it was a feeble attempt. I would have never thought I would miss my idiotic grin, but as it crept back across my face I realized that I was glad to have it back.

I walked into the Room of Requirement and found Draco sprawled out across two huge pillows in the floor of our usual room. I smiled at him and he grinned back at me, lifting his head up slightly to look at me, but otherwise not moving.

I sat down beside him and leaned back on my elbows, stretching my legs out beside his body. We sat there for a moment before either of us spoke. It was a comfortable silence…calming somehow.

"You weren't at supper." I stated, not wanting to ask him why incase that verged on being an obsessive girlfriend when I wasn't even officially his girlfriend, but entirely too curious to not bring it up.

"Sorry about that." He said sincerely "I would have mentioned it to you, but it was kind of a last minute decision. I just hate sitting there while everyone stares at me. I can practically hear their thoughts, but none of them will actually say anything. It's infuriating." He explained.

"I can understand that." I said, nodding.

He grinned at me and chuckled lightly.

"Yeah, I saw that you were getting quizzed pretty heavily at lunch. I hope it wasn't too terrible." As he spoke he sat up and leaned across the space between us to push a strand of hair out of my face.

I looked up so that my eyes met his and he smiled at me warmly.

"Sometimes your hair gets in the way" He said, still smiling.

"Sorry" I said, embarrassed, my hair had never been my favorite feature.

He laughed softly again and said "It's nothing to be sorry about. I just find it hard enough to read your expression without your hair being in your face."

I looked down, unsure of what so say. He turned around, grabbed a large, over-stuff pillow, and propped it up behind him. He leaned back so that he was half sitting, half lying down and looked back up at me.

"Come here" He said, beckoning with his head.

I looked at him quizzically. I wasn't sitting more than two feet away from him. What did he mean 'come here'? He rolled his eyes at me, and sat up, reaching his hand out to me. I took it with my own and he pulled me towards him. When I was right beside him, he leaned back against the pillow again.

"Now lay down." He said, holding my shoulders lightly and pulling them down towards him.

When I was finally lying down, my head resting on his stomach, he seemed to be happy.

"I like this" He said after a moment.

I smiled to myself, but didn't say anything, so he continued.

"I thought it would be weird, being with you like this, but it isn't. It feels right to me for some reason. I don't even feel like the same person anymore.. It's like you've changed me."

Something about that didn't sit well with me. I started to sit up, but his left arm, which had been draped loosely across my stomach, stiffened, stopping me. I stayed where I was, but tilted my head so that I could see his face.

"I don't want to change you, Draco." I said, my voice cracking slightly around the lump in my throat. "I just want you. The way you are… no strings attached. I don't want you to think you have to change."

He smiled at me softly and took my hand in his.

"You misunderstood me… again" He said with a smirk "I don't feel like I have to change, I just have. I guess it's harder to explain than I thought, but… it's like I was going down a road and I didn't like it, but it was either follow that road or just wonder off in the darkness, so I kept going. But now, you've shown up and shown me a different path. I have another option now… and I took It."

He smiled at me again, and even though I still didn't understand, I smiled back.

"I know this isn't going to be easy, Hermione. I wish I could promise you easy and perfect, but I can't. You've seen how people react to seeing us together, and that is just because we walked into a room together. Can you imagine if they saw us holding hands, or kissing? It won't be easy, and some days we may not even think it's worth fighting for, but I'm willing to try if you are."

Just hearing that he actually wanted to be with me was enough to send my mind spinning in circles and make my stomach do back-flips. I was still trying to put my thoughts in order enough to form a somewhat coherent response, when he spoke again.

"But, enough of all this serious stuff. I've just reminded myself of something." He said slyly, bending his knees and pulling me up so that I was almost sitting up- leaning against them. "I haven't kissed you yet."

He closed the distance that was between us and brought his mouth down over mine. Suddenly, my body was alive again. Thousands of tiny electric shocks sparked across my body, causing me to shiver slightly in his arms. His warm mouth pressed against mine and his tongue swept lightly across my bottom lip, causing my mouth to part. His tongue plunged into my mouth, tickling slowly across the roof of my mouth. I leaned towards him and pressed my hands against his chest.

His tongue messaged against my own as he placed his right hand at the base of my neck and pulled me closer to him, crashing my mouth harder against his. I moaned into his mouth and ran my hand slowly down his chest and stomach and molded it around his hip.

Slowly, he broke away from the kiss, but didn't pull away from me. He rested his forehead against mine as we waited for our breathing to slow down.

"It would be very easy to get carried away with you." He said with mock-annoyance.

"Tell me about it"

I ran my finger down the edge of his jaw and tilted his head up so that his mouth was even with mine. I kissed him once more, firmly and quickly, and pulled away from him, settling myself against a pillow beside him.

"So, how was your day?" He asked after a minute.

I looked at him for a moment and chuckled lightly to myself.

"Is that what we are going to do now, talk about our day?" I asked, smirking at him.

"I don't know." He said, sounding slightly defensive. "This is kind of new territory for me."

He crosses his arms across his chest and stared at the floor. I tried not to laugh, but I couldn't help it. He looked so adorable when he pouted. I scooted closer to him and formed his mouth into a smile with my fingers.

"Don't be sad at me" I said, twisting my fingers into the corners of his mouth slightly. His expression didn't change.

"My day was okay. It was actually going very well until someone didn't come to supper, and I got worried." I said, throwing my legs across his lap and grinning up at him.

His expression stayed the same, and I was starting to worry that he was actually mad at me when suddenly he was tickling me, causing me to squirm in his arms and bury my head in his shoulder.

"Stop!" I squealed, trying to get away.

"You better be good… remember what happened last time?" He asked, threateningly as he stopped tickling me, but kept his arms around me.

"Last time you tickled me?"

"Yep."

"I remember. You dumped chips over my head and when I told you I wasn't scared of you, you tickled me and threw me off the couch." I paused, scowling at him "But then…. you made up for it." I said, kissing him lightly on the lips.

"Hmm, you do remember." He said, brushing his fingers across my lips.

"I should go." I said, quietly, leaning my head against his shoulder. He didn't say anything, but his arms tightened around me slightly.

"People may start wondering where I am" I explained, realizing as I said it that it probably wasn't likely. No one cared where I was. Their only interest in me was having their questions answered.

"What would you tell them?" He asked

I thought for a moment, and looked up at him before I answered. Hi light blonde hair was falling in his eyes as he looked down at me expectantly, and one of his pale eye brows was raised slightly.

"I don't know. What would you want me to say?" I asked, more anxious about his answer than my voice revealed.

"I guess you could tell them whatever you wanted. They are your friends." He said, showing no emotion.

"Draco" I whined, keeping my eyes on his face "We have to figure these things out together."

"I know that, but asking me what you should say isn't us figuring it out together." He said, loosening his grip on me and sliding me off his lap.

I scooted over so that I was facing him and curled my legs underneath me. I didn't know what to say. He was right, but I needed to know what he was thinking before I could figure anything out. Did he want people to know I was with him? When they asked why, what was I supposed to say?

"Look, Hermione" He said, interrupting my thoughts "This should really be up to you. I never had many friends to begin with, and the ones I do have honestly don't care who I spend my time with. We aren't as bad as we try to seem. That's mainly for show- so nothing gets back to our parents. But, in this case, that isn't really a problem."

That confused me. I would have thought it would be more of a problem if his dad found out we were spending a lot of time together. He wouldn't like that…especially not since he was the reason we were thrown together in the first place. I guess the confusion played across my face, because Draco explained.

"My dad may not be the greatest man in the world, but he isn't one to look too far into something. If I tell him we are just being cordial to one another because of this little project of ours, he will believe me. He knows how people love to talk, he wouldn't think much of it if I act like I am completely disgusted by the thought of being with you."

I nodded at him, although it still didn't make a lot of sense to me. By this point, I had pretty much made it a rule of thumb to not ask more questions than necessary when dealing with Draco's family. As far as I was concerned, he was the only Malfoy worth thinking about.

"So, then we'll just tell them the truth." I stated simply, pulling my eyes off the floor to gauge his reaction.

"If that's what you want, but I really want you to think about it first. You have more to lose than I do. Don't underestimate the risk you are taking, Hermione. Give this some thought." He said, kindly.

"I don't have to think about it" I said, quickly "I know that I want to be with you."

"I didn't say think about us. I said think about what we tell people. Just because people don't know we are together doesn't mean we aren't." He said, as he stood up.

Why was he standing up? I looked up at him questioningly, as he reached his hand out to me to help me up.

"Just think about it." He said, and leaned down to kiss me lightly on the forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow. Try to get some sleep tonight."

He squeezed my hand once and then he was gone, and I was left alone… to think. How the hell did he expect me to think about a decision that could potentially cause me to lose my friends AND get some sleep?


	12. Chapter 12

**Fact 1:** Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling

**Fact 2: **I am not her.

**Conclusion:** It isn't mine.

**A/N: I know, I know... its been forever and a day. I _really _am sorry and I know its frustrating because to start reading a story and then the author takes so long to update that you forget what happened. I know. I don't know if it makes any difference to know _why _its been so long... but I'll tell you, just in case. I don't have a whole lot of time to write as it is, and then last week a got the stomach flu and was really sick for several days. And now I have a sinus infection. I've been doing a practicum in an Elementary school and I've been sick pretty much the whole time. Anyway, I know it all just sounds like excuses but I _am _sorry. **

**Oh yeh, one more thing and then I'll shut up. When I started writing this, I got a chapter almost completely done and then decided the placement was off and wrote this chapter to go before it. So, the good news is that the next chapter is almost completely done. See, I'm not _all _bad :)**

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The funny thing about putting something on a timeline is that you can't always figure something out when you want to, or need to. I did eventually go to sleep that night, but I woke up just as confused as I had been. And that's how it went for three days. Each night I would tell myself "This is it. Tomorrow morning I will wake up and know what to do."

And on the fourth morning, it happened. I woke up with a strange sense of clarity. All of the reasons I had for not wanting anyone to know about my relationship with Draco were starting to become more and more feeble. Harry and Ron had all but eliminated my worry about losing my friends. With each day that passed without them speaking to me, I had continued to feel more hurt and more betrayed. Now, those feelings had changed and I just felt angry. If they didn't care about our friendship, why should I? If they were already treating me as if I had chosen Draco over them, what was stopping me from doing just that?

Even my fears about Draco's dad finding out about our relationship were starting to fade. Draco said it wouldn't be a big deal, and for some reason I believed him. Probably because I knew he ultimately had more to lose, at least in that aspect of the situation, than I did. His father would be much less forgiving of his only son becoming a blood-traitor than he would be of the mudblood who 'seduced' him. So, if Draco said we would be okay, I was willing to take that at face value.

At this point, my only concern was if this was really something strong enough to make it worth fighting for. I knew that in my mind, and in my heart it is worth it. But, it had to go both ways and I had no way of knowing if Draco was really in it or if this was just something fun for him to do. Was I just a conquest for him? An unexpected notch in his bedpost? I had to be sure before I allowed myself to become totally emerged in my feelings for him. But I knew that asking him wasn't going to be easy….

I opted to take a long shower and skip breakfast, mainly because I was trying to get my thoughts in order and think logically and I knew seeing Draco would make that more difficult. If I played my cards right, I would be able to get through the whole day without seeing him. Most days, I tried to work out my paths around the castle so that I could brush past him in the hallways, or even catch a glimpse of him turning a corner.

I had become pathetic. I knew that, I excepted it, and moved on.

But avoiding Draco was a double edged sword. On one hand, going through a full day thinking logical thoughts and looking at the situation with a clear head would give me the opportunity to think about what I wanted to say to him and how to ask the question I had to ask. On the other hand, it was possible that I would be so happy when I did see him that I would completely lose my head.

I walked into my first class a good ten minutes before anyone else came in. I made my way to my regular seat. For some reason, I hadn't bothered to move away from sitting near Harry and Ron even though we were no longer speaking. It seemed less awkward to sit there than to move. Besides, it wouldn't be much better sitting next to anyone else. Once they had realized I wasn't going to have an all-out gossip session about my friendship with Draco, people lost all interest in talking to me at all. I wasn't sure if it was because I had spent so long not talking to them and making myself all but invisible or because they, like Harry and Ron, felt betrayed. I had a feeling it was a combination of the two. Even I could see how odd it looked that the one person I seemed to be talking to was a Slytherin, and not just any Slytherin but the one they all seemed to hate the most.

My classmates started to trickle in, taking their seats and chatting loudly until Professor McGonagall came in, silencing them.

"Did any of you leave a notebook in here last week?" She asked, scanning the room for any sign of affirmation.

"No? I'm pretty sure it was left during our last class period. It appears to have some notes in it, but no name." She said as she reached into her desk and held up the green notebook for all of us to see.

I looked around, expecting someone to recognize it, but everyone was shaking their heads.

"Is it not yours Hermione?" Lavender asked, turning around to look at me

I raised my eyebrows at her and said "No" with more attitude than the situation warranted, but something in the tone of her voice made me feel defensive.

She smirked at me and said "Oh, I just figured…. Green is your favorite color, after all."

Everyone snickered, a few people muttered under their breath, Professor McGonagall looked confused, and I…. felt the sudden urge to slap Lavender Brown right across her smug little face.

Professor McGonagall quickly got the class back in order, put the offending green notebook back in her desk, and carried on with class. I wondered if everyone had a problem with Draco and I being friends, or if it was just Lavender. Briefly, I considered the fact that she might just be jealous. Instinctively, I tried to dismiss the thought, but it wouldn't be silenced. She had always had a bit of a crush on him…maybe she was onto the fact that there was something beyond friendship going on and she wished it was her instead of me.

The thought made me smile. The jealousy of my female classmates was an aspect of telling the truth that I hadn't considered yet, and I surprised myself by liking the idea. Little brainy Hermione, bagging one of the hottest guys in school when everyone had always ignorantly assumed I would end up with Ronald Weasley? The image of Pansy Parkinson's face, twisted up in fury and disbelief ran through my mind and I grinned broadly. I had known telling the truth would make me feel better, and I hoped that it would make me feel less stressed, but I hadn't counted on it being fun…..

I managed to make it through the day without seeing Draco, until lunch. Somehow lunch hadn't factored into my calculations, but my growling stomach let me know that skipping a second meal was completely out of the question. I smiled at him once as I made my way to the table and then sat with my back to him. As I ate, I went through my thoughts…. Ticking things off one by one.

I was ready to let people know that Draco and I were dating. I had calculated the risks, weighed them against the rewards and decided that it was what I wanted. But, I still needed to know that he was serious about this and not just killing time or trying to prove something to himself.

Those were the things I knew. I also knew that if I asked him that flat out, his temper would flare up and we would end up in a shouting match. He may not have been exactly the same Draco Malfoy I had known for years, but he wasn't completely different either. He was still arrogant and hot tempered, and I wasn't immune to that. Occasionally I pushed one of his buttons, and his short fuse would clash with my stubborn streak, and off we would go….

The way I phrased my concerns was going to be crucial. I looked around me and wished that there was someone I could ask for advice. Ginny was sitting just a few seats down on the other side of the table. Our last conversation on this topic hadn't gone well…. But it hadn't gone terribly either. At least we had both come out of it unscathed. I considered it for a minute, and decided I didn't have anything to lose. I quickly shoveled a few more bites into my mouth, and made my move.

"Hey Ginny" I said casually, leaning across the table slightly. Several heads turned in my direction and Ginny's eyebrows shot up.

She didn't say anything but she inclined her head, so I continued.

"Could I talk to you? It will just take a second."

She twisted her mouth and seemed to be considering it. I wondered if she was weighing the pros and cons like I had before deciding to speak to her. I hadn't realized how badly I wanted to talk to her until I found myself mentally begging her to come up with more pros than cons.

Finally, she looked at me and shrugged.

"Fine" She said, apathetically "I was done eating anyway"

We walked out of the Great Hall without saying a word to each other, and I wasn't unaware of all the eyes that followed us every step we made. I couldn't imagine that there was anyone actually eating at Gryffindor table. We stepped through the large, heavy doors, me just a few steps ahead of Ginny. I stopped just outside the doors and turned to face her.

I smiled at her hesitantly, suddenly rethinking this decision. It had made sense a few minutes ago…. But now I wasn't so sure. She didn't look very happy.

"Look, Ginny, I don't like this." I decided to just open with the truth "I should have said something sooner, before it got so out of control but I really miss being your friend."

Her angry exterior cracked and for a second I got a glimpse of the old Ginny, my Ginny, the Ginny I was hoping to see.

And then it was gone and the apathetic smirk was back.

"You made the choice, Hermione, not me." She said, no emotion in her voice.

"But that's just it, Ginny, I didn't make a choice. Well, not the choice you are saying I made. I made the choice to make a new friend, not to get rid of all my old ones. You and Harry and Ron meant so much to me… you still do. I just don't understand why you can't accept my right to make the choices in my life and not take it as a personal insult. I never meant to hurt any of you. You have to believe that." My voice came out sounding more pleading than I had intended, but as far as I could tell, I needed all the help I could get. Maybe she would feel bad for me if she thought I was begging.

Her shoulder fell slightly, and she looked torn. I could tell she was going back and forth in her mind, so I tried one last plea.

"Please, Ginny, I need at least one of my friends back…. I need you." I bit my lip, and waited.

Her mouth twisted up and she looked at me for a second, taking in the expression on my face. And then she smiled.

"Fine. But I want all the details. Its one of the perks of being your best friend." She said, grinning at me." She said, raising one eyebrow at me, as if she was daring me to turn down her one stipulation.

I smiled back at her and said "Sure, Ginny, you can have the dirt. Meet me after class?"

The rest of the day drug by. I hadn't allowed myself to think about how much I wanted to talk to Ginny until I was sure that she would agree to it, but now that had, I was positively giddy. As much as I had been enjoying my time with Draco, there is only so much conversation about quidditch and Slytherins a girl can take.

When the last class of the day finally ended, I grabbed my books up quickly and made my way up to Gryffindor tower. I went into my bedroom, took my robes off, and laid down on my bed to wait for Ginny. I had gone back and forth all day over how much of the truth to tell her. Should I tell her Draco and I were considering dating… just to see how she reacted? Or just go ahead and get it over with- tell her we were a couple and let the chips fall where they may?

I was still weighing the pros and cons of each option when there was a knock at my door. "Guess I'll just have to wing it" I thought as I sat up.

"Come in" I said cheerfully, and my stomach turned with nerves.

Ginny walked through the door and grinned at me. She crossed my room in a few steps and leaned across my bed, throwing her arms around me. I flinched slightly in shock… hadn't been expecting that.

"I know I've acted terrible Hermione, and I'm so sorry. I've been thinking about it all afternoon- how hateful I was to you at lunch, and how awful we've all been to you, not even speaking to you." Her words came out in a rush, and when she finished speaking she pulled away and looked at me.

"Do you forgive me?" She asked, timidly.

"Of course I do." I said, smiling at her "Its partly my fault anyway. I should have known I couldn't just throw something like that at you… .of course it was going to take you some time to get used to it, and I should have realized that."

"I don't know why I got so upset. I guess I was just so surprised that I didn't think before I reacted, you know? I can't really blame you for wanting to be friends with him though. I know plenty of girls that would love to be much more than friends with him." She said, waggling her eyebrows at me.

I couldn't help but laugh. Maybe it wouldn't be as hard to bring it up as I had thought…

"Okay, I'm here. We kissed and made up- well not so much the kissing part, but still. So dish… lets hear it, I want the good stuff too. No skipping." She said sternly, as she made herself comfortable on my bed, leaning against the headboard and settling a pillow behind her back.

I still wasn't sure how much I wanted to tell her. So much of the story was caught up in what I couldn't tell… or was at least afraid too. If I told her about Voldermort and Lucius, would she tell Harry? I ran the scenario through my mind quickly, and then dismissed the possibility. I didn't want to cause her the worry I had experienced, or put her in the position to lie to her boyfriend and brother for me. Some secrets are just better being kept.

And so, I told her as much of the story as I could- leaving out most of the details, and to my surprise she more or less let me finish without interruptions. By the time I was finished, her eyes were as big as saucers, she was chewing the inside of her lip, and a pillow was clinched in her fists. I sat there for a minute, waiting for her to say something, but she never did.

"Speak, Ginny." I said, leaning towards her slightly.

She swallowed loudly and looked at me. Slowly, her face returned to its normal expression, and she spoke.

"I can't believe it. I can't bloody believe it." She said, finally, shaking her head.

I bit my lip, and tried to smile at her, but I don't think it worked right. Suddenly my face felt numb. I hadn't counted on feeling so anxious, but it finally dawned on me that if she really wanted to, Ginny could mess everything up. She could run off and tell people, and then everyone would know whether I wanted them to or not, and …… wait. Maybe that wouldn't be so bad. I shrugged the idea away and pulled myself from my thoughts.

"Are you mad?" I asked softly.

"Mad? No, I'm not mad. Maybe I should be. I don't know… I just can't believe it." She continued to shake her head and was just sitting there, looking at me.

"Oh!" She said, sitting up suddenly "Have you had sex with him?" She asked in a whisper, as if she thought someone might could hear her.

"No, not yet." I said, seriously, shaking my head.

She nodded, and then it occurred to her exactly what I had said.

"Not YET?" She demanded "But… but that means you are going to and just haven't gotten around to it yet." She said, her voice climbing up a couple of octaves.

I furrowed my brow and looked at her. I didn't know what to say… I hadn't exactly intended to say not yet, but I couldn't exactly deny that it would probably happen at some point. I shrugged, and tried to think of what to say.

"I don't know Ginny, it's all so confusing. That's why I need your help." I said, and leaned over to shake her gently by the shoulders. "Before this goes any further I need to know for sure how he feels. I think I know, but I need to hear him say it. I can't let myself get caught up in it any further without knowing for sure."

"I understand" She said, earnestly. "From what you've told me, Hermione, you should really just tell him that. I can't believe I'm saying this about Draco Malfoy of all people, but he sounds like a pretty decent guy. I don't think he is going to go all bonkers on you for asking him how he feels." She paused for a second, and looked at me before continuing "And really, if he does… then I guess that answers your question, you know? It will hurt, but at least you will know for sure before its too late." She shrugged at me slightly, and then shook her head at me again.

"I've gotten myself into a mess haven't I?" I asked, smiling.

"It's definitely a mess. But it may not be a bad mess. Some messes are actually fun." She said, grinning back at me "And Draco Malfoy looks like a lot of fun…" She trailed off, biting her lip at grinning at me.

"Hey now!" I objected, hitting her with a pillow

Ginny giggled and stood up beside my bed.

"You'll figure it out, Hermione. You always do. You were right before… I should trust your judgment." She smiled at me again, and then she was out the door.

**A/N(2): Im awfully chatty tonight, huh? I just wanted to point out that I am changing the rating of this story from T to M. I don't think it was in this chapter, but I caught myself throwing some bad language in it at one point and there are some situations coming up that call for the higher rating. Plus, it makes me less paranoid. Anyway, just wanted y'all to be aware. Thanks!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Fact 1: Harry Potter is written by JK Rowling**

**Fact 2: I am not her**

**Conclusion: It isn't mine**

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**A/N:** First of all, I haven't said so in the past couple of chapters I don't think- but thank you to all of you who are reading this, and especially to those of you who are reviewing. Before I started writing this I never believed when authors said how much the reviews meant to them, but really... they make me smile, so thank you :)

Also, I just wanted to give a heads up that this is the chapter that warranted the M rating. Its nothing too terrible, but I wanted to let you all know. I hope you like it!

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A week passed before I got up the courage to ask Draco. I knew I had to ask him before our relationship could go any further- in any sense, but that didn't keep me from putting it off. I just spent as much time with him as I could, and tried to tell myself that if it didn't work out, I could be happy with that. I knew, though, deep down that I was lying to myself. Each day that I spent with him, I fell a little further down the rabbit hole. Our relationship was beginning to change, though. We felt more comfortable around one another, and as a result of that stopped being on our best behavior. He had no reservations about coming to meet me fresh from quiddich practice, absolutely covered in sweat and too often, I snapped at him because he interrupted me while I was doing home work.. His arrogance would clash with my sarcasm, and our sharp tongues would take over, sending us into an all-out yelling match. Still, we always got past it.

When it came right down to it… even when he made me furious, even when I was so angry that I couldn't even see straight… I was still happier with him than I was anywhere else, and that offered me a lot of comfort in the times that I sat at lunch all by myself, and went through entire school days without talking to anyone but my professors and Ginny. Some things in life are just worth it.

It was in the midst of our most recent fight that I realized something. Something I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of before.

"You know what my favorite part of all this is, Hermione?" Draco said through his teeth, his grey eyes narrowed at me. "My absolutely favorite part is that you are so quick to judge me and the people I hang out with… my housemates. You love to think that we are the ones that are so selfish, so absolutely self centered that we don't ever think about anyone else or how our actions effect others, and yet… which one of us is it that almost no one in their house will even speak to? Which of us has gone the past couple of weeks without so much as a word from our "best friends?" He spat the last words at me, and I felt as if I had been slapped.

"At least I had friends to begin with" I spat back at him "You said so yourself that you didn't… that you never have. I guess I can't really blame them for not wanting to be your friends. Your parents don't leave a whole lot to the imagination as to how you will turn out, do they? Loyalty means nothing when the only thing you are loyal to is the all-mighty dark lord." I knew I had crossed a line. I knew before I said it, but I didn't care. He had crossed a line, as well. He knew how hurt I was over the fact that Harry and Ron had still shown no interest in forgiving me. In their eyes, my friendship with Draco was the ultimate betrayal, completely unforgivable and they remained totally unwavering in that stance.

"Maybe you are right. Wait…. What am I saying? You are always bloody right. But what I wonder, little miss know-it-all, is if you are so disgusted by me and what you know I will become, why waste your time on me?"

As usual, I lost my resolve and didn't want to fight anymore. I couldn't even remember why we started in the first place. I lowered my eyes, and bit my lip as I stared at the floor.

And that's when it hit me. As I was running the words we had just said to one another through my mind, something hit me like a ton of bricks… the one thought that I kept pushing to the back of my mind, refusing to think about: his dad, Voldermort. Why weren't they telling us anything? Had we even heard from this this week?

"Draco," I said cautiously, looking up at him nervously.

"What?" He asked, his frustration still very evident in his tone.

"Can we stop fighting now? I need to ask you something."

He grinned at me lazily and then patted the spot on the floor next to him. I crossed the floor and sat back in the spot I had been in before all the bickering started. I crossed my legs underneath me and turned to face him.

"Draco," I began again, mentally trying to convince myself not to panic until I at least gave him a chance to explain. "What's been going on with… with your dad?" I asked, looking at him hopefully.

He hesitated, and looked at me a little sadly before answering, and I knew it wasn't going to be good. He was keeping something from me…. No doubt trying to protect me, even though I had told him numerous times that I only needed protecting from myself and my runaway mind.

Draco saw the worried look on my face and tried to smile. "Its not bad." He said, and then reconsidered "Well, its not terrible." He amended. "I actually haven't heard from him." He said, quietly, his eyes no longer meeting mine.

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. I had not been expecting that.

I opened my mouth to speak, but his words came out first.

"It's been two weeks since I had any correspondence with him." He said, calmly, taking a deep breath before continuing "I didn't say anything because I knew you would assume the worst. I knew you would ask eventually… I was just letting you enjoy your ignorance as long as you could." He said with a shrug.

"Its okay. I mean, its not okay. Its clearly not okay, I just mean… I'm not mad at you. I thought last week, you said…" I didn't really know what else to say. He hadn't heard from his dad at all. What could that possibly mean?

"I know I shouldn't have lied. I honestly thought there was just something wrong with the owl, and that I would get it the next day saying that everything was okay. But hey, no news is good news, right?" Draco asked, hopefully, trying to lighten the mood, and nudged my leg with his foot playfully.

"I don't know." I answered, my voice coming out completely flat. "I'm still trying to process it. What do you think it means? I mean… he's your dad, shouldn't you know what he's-" I cut off when the expression on his face changed. I didn't want him to think I was comparing him to his dad by assuming that he would understand something about him. I had found out more than once that when it came to discussing Draco and his father's relationship, it was best not to make any assumptions. His own insecurities about turning out just like his dad had caused him jump to some pretty far-fetched conclusions in the past.

"What I mean, is, you've lived with him your whole life. Do you have any idea as to why he stopped contacting you? Is it good… is it bad… it is normal… unusual?"

Draco smiled at me and rolled his eyes slightly, clearly realizing that I was being very careful about what I said on the subject.

"I wish I knew. It could be that he just doesn't have anything to say, although after all the letters he sent that basically said nothing, I doubt that's the case. It could be that something has happened and he is somehow not in the position to send me an owl. It could be that he is angry at me for some reason and wants to make me sweat. Or, it could be that something has happened and he doesn't want to admit to me that something with the plan went wrong." He took a deep breath and looked at something over my shoulder. "I've thought about it a million times, and I can't narrow it down any further than that. Maybe, if we are really lucky, they have figured out a way to do it without us and think its best to leave us out of it completely." He said, shrugging, and shifted his gaze back to my face.

"Or maybe they just gave it up all together." I said, forcing a fake smile on my face.

"I kind of doubt that's it, but we can definitely hope."

"I'll cross my fingers." I said quietly, repositioning myself so that I was leaning my back against the side of his body. I took his wrist in my hand and slung his arm around me.

He made a show of crossing his fingers and said "I'm crossing my toes, too."

I laughed and crossed my fingers as well. I tried to cross my toes, but it wasn't working. My shoes were in the way.

"My toes wont cross." I whined.

"You must be deformed, then."

I elbowed him in the ribs and he flinched.

"I am not deformed! My shoes are in the way." I said, defensively.

Draco laughed at me and shrugged me off of him. "That can be fixed." He said, easily, shifting himself so that he was sitting next to my legs. He turned me around by my ankles and pulled my feet into his lap. He yanked my shoes off and tossed them to the side.

He pulled both my socks off and ran his finger up the bottom of my foot. A shudder went through my entire body, and I forgot that I was supposed to be crossing my toes. I tried to pull my feet away from him, but he had a firm grip. He smirked at me and said "Don't think so"

He trailed his finger along the tops of my toes and then down the back of foot. He paused for a second and seemed to be considering something. Then, putting one foot on each side of him, he pulled me towards him a little so that he was sitting between my legs. I bit my lip as I watched him, completely transfixed and totally clueless as to what he was doing. He took one foot in his hand and placed it on his shoulder and he ran his hands down my leg, from my ankle to my thigh where my skirt had become much shorter due to the position of my leg.

I inhaled sharply and his eyes came up to meet mine. In what looked like one smooth movement, he let my foot slide off his shoulder, brought himself to his knees, and hovered over me, his body just inches above mine, his hands on either side of my head.

I licked my lips, expecting his mouth to come down over mine, but he didn't move. He just stopped there, right above me, looking at me. I allowed my eyes to look over him, and then focused my eyes on his. The look in his eye was different than I had ever seen. The usual pale silver orbs had turned deep, smoldering grey. They pierced through me, causing me to catch my breath. I leaned up to kiss him just as he leaned down to do the same thing. Our lips crashed, molding together with force and fury.

Our tongues swirled together, fighting for dominance. He bit my lip lightly and I groaned into his mouth. He pulled his mouth away from mine and I tilted my head back, giving him better access to my throat. He ran his tongue down the length of it and I felt my breath hitch. He trailed light kisses along my collar bone, just underneath the collar of my white button-down shirt.

He moved his mouth back up to meet mine and kissed me passionately, his lips pressing hard against mine as his hand slowly undid the buttons on my shirt from the bottom up. This was usually where I stopped him, but I couldn't find the energy… or the motivation. His hands felt so good on my skin. This was the happiest place in the word for me, and it was getting more and more difficult to leave it.

My shirt fell open and he once again, moved his mouth down my neck. He kissed my chest, right between my breasts, and ran his finger just underneath the bottom of my bra. He raised up slightly, and looked at me, probably looking for hesitation. There was none to be found. He saw my front teeth biting into my bottom lip. He saw my eyes yearning for him. He saw my breath coming in ragged pants, but he didn't see hesitation.

His eyes moved across my face, down my neck, finally settling on my chest. After one sharp intake of breath, he lowered himself back down and nuzzled his face into my neck. He started kissing the curve of my neck slowly, sucking lightly. His arm tightened around my back and he lifted me up slightly. He pressed me up against his body and I tightened my arms around my neck, holding myself there. Still propping himself up with one of his forearms, he used his other hand to unhook my bra strap and lowered me back down to the floor.

My bra, only on by the straps, hung loosely on my body. Slowly, he lowered the straps down my arms and tossed the bra to the side. He eyes raked across my now-bare chest and he inhaled sharply, and closed his eyes. I took the opportunity to slide my hands further up his shirt, and lift it above his head. I ran my hand down the length of his chest and abdomen, and hooked my fingers in the waist band of his jeans.

Draco opened his eyes, and placed one hand on my right breast, just cupping it at first and then kneading it slightly. I closed my eyes and felt my breath start coming more quickly. His hand stopped moving on my breast for a second, and I waited, too content to open my eyes to see what he was doing. And then, I felt his mouth come down on my left breast, planting small kisses all along it. He closed his mouth down over my taught nipple and he sucked on it, swirling his tongue around the tip. At the same time, he lightly pinched the nipple on my other breast. Both sensations simultaneously caused me to groan loudly. I shivered all over, and wiggled underneath him.

I opened my eyes just in time to see Draco close his. He groaned in frustration, and raised up, lifting himself off of me. He leaned back against one of the pillars that ran across the room.

He muttered "Fuck, Hermione" and covered his eyes with his hand. I was suddenly very embarrassed. Not only because I wasn't wearing anything above my skirt, but also because I didn't know what I had done wrong.

I reached over beside me to get my shirt, and pulled it on, buttoning a couple of the buttons as I sat myself up and tried to slow my breathing. I had planned on just waiting him out… giving him some time and letting him tell me what was wrong when he was ready, but my impatience won out and I couldn't take it anymore.

"Draco, what-" He looked up at me and the expression on his face stopped me. He had the same look in his eye I had noticed earlier, just more intense. He looked like he was about to pounce on me. I shiver ran down my back.

Draco ran his hand across his brow, and spoke before I got the chance to figure out what to say.

"I'm sorry" He said, his voice strained "I shouldn't have let it go that far; I got carried away."

I sighed in relief that he wasn't mad at me and crawled over to sit next to him.

"Don't be sorry." I said softly, threading my fingers through his. "Its my job to stop you, remember?" I said, smirking at him.

He opened his mouth to say something, but I stopped him, pretty sure I knew what he was about to say.

"I know you aren't pressuring me. I don't feel pressured. I want you, Draco, I just want to wait until" I didn't know how to continue. I knew it was my fault that I wasn't ready. I wanted to be sure about how he felt about me. I wanted us to be a real couple, not having to hide to be together. And I wasn't even giving him the opportunity to reassure me.

"I think we need to talk." I said, quietly, looking at the floor.

When he didn't say anything, I glanced up at him. He looked worried and slightly sad. I smiled at him weakly, trying to reassure him that it wasn't anything bad.

"For any relationship to work there has to big two key things, trust and communication." I said, and immediately wondered where it had came from.

He nodded at me slowly and furrowed his eyebrows, clearly confused.

"There's been something I've been worried about lately, and I haven't wanted to ask you about it. I was afraid that when I asked you, you would get upset with me or I wouldn't like your answer. And I've been too happy lately… I just couldn't bring myself to ruin it." I said sadly, tightening my grip on his hand.

"Whatever it is, whatever I've done… you can ask me about it." Why did he always assume he had done something wrong? Was that his go-to solution to everything- it was his fault?

I shook my head and continued. "You haven't done anything. There's not even anything wrong, not really. It's just that, all of this kind of happened so fast and it came completely out of nowhere, you know? I didn't really give myself a chance to process it. After all of this started happening, I wouldn't let myself think about it, I didn't want to. I just wanted to just float through it, being happy and giddy. I wanted to enjoy myself for as long as I could. I guess I didn't really think it would last. I thought it was just a fleeting attraction, and that soon, I would come off of this high and we would go back to the real world." I paused and shrugged at him, hoping I was making more sense than I thought I was. He looked back at me, a look of concentration crossing his perfect features. He was trying really hard to understand.

"And now…" I took a deep breath and willed myself to say what I was afraid to.. What I knew I had to. "I know this isn't just some random fling, at least not for me. I've let myself think about it, and its more than just something fun to do to fill time. At least, for me it is." I said the last part quietly, and dropped my eyes to look at the carpet. This was it- the moment of truth.

"I'm afraid I don't see the problem, Hermione. Are you upset because you've started to care for me?" He asked, and I could hear the hesitation in his voice. He didn't like asking that question any more than I wanted to ask mine.

I looked up at him and smiled.

"Upset is the last thing it makes me feel. I'm perfectly happy, really I am." I paused when I saw the skeptical look on his face and my smile widened. "I know I don't sound happy right now, but it's just because I'm nervous. I told you, I've been putting this off for a while."

"Putting what off exactly?" He asked carefully, almost like he was afraid of the answer.

"I just need to know that you feel the same way. That you aren't just being with me because it's something different… a way to fight off boredom." I said quietly, and the look on his face made me regret it instantly. He looked almost horrified.

He pulled away from me slightly and looked at me carefully.

"You think I'm just doing this because I'm bored?" He asked, his voice rising. "Because, I assure you Hermione, I've been bored thousands of time throughout my life and I've never gotten involved in a relationship that could cut my ties with my family to ward it off."

I bit my lip to try to keep from crying, but a tear still managed to escape. I shouldn't have asked. His face softened when he saw that I was upset and he pulled me closer, cradling my head against his chest.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I guess I just assumed that since I knew how I felt about you, you should know to. Please don't cry."

I nodded into his chest and murmured "I'm sorry, too."

"Why are you sorry?"

"I don't know… just am." I said, shrugging.

He chuckled softly and said "You're silly."

We sat there for a little while, neither of us saying anything. I felt like all the weight I had been carrying on my shoulders had suddenly been lifted. I didn't feel scared of nervous any more. I wasn't sure how I was going to tell everyone about our relationship, but that didn't seem to matter so much now. Then I remembered something I had thought about before. What if I didn't tell them? What if I let someone else do it for me? I smiled to myself as I thought about it, and sat up, leaning against Draco's side rather than his chest. He looked at me expectantly.

"I have an idea." I said, grinning at him. He raised an eyebrow, and smirked at me.

"I have a few ideas myself." He said slyly, his eyes running down my body.

I elbowed him in the ribs and rolled my eyes.

"Not that kind of idea." He chuckled and smiled at me.

"You know how you told me to be thinking about when and how I wanted to tell everyone about us?" I asked. He nodded. "So, I told Ginny, kind of testing the waters," I continued. He nodded again. I had already told him about my conversation with Ginny- leaving out the part where I asked her for advice about him. I wasn't so sure he would appreciate that part.

"Well, I got to thinking that maybe we could kind of let her tell everyone for us." He raised an eyebrow at me but didn't say anything so I continued. "Think about it, she could tell some of her friends, they would tell other people, and so on and so on. In a couple of days the whole castle would know and we wouldn't even have to say a word."

He seemed to contemplate it for a minute and then looked at my skeptically "But then it will seem like we were still trying to hide it, won't it?" He asked.

I shrugged. "Does it really matter? Besides, we don't have to wait until everyone knows to start acting like we are together. Just whatever day she starts telling people, we can let people start seeing us holding hands or something. I just don't think it has to be a big deal- like this big announcement or something."

He laughed lightly and shook his head. "There may not be an announcement, but trust me… it will be a big deal. There's no way around that."

I smiled. He was right. To some people, it would be a very big deal.

"So, when do we start?" He asked, with no sign of hesitation or anxiety in his voice. Wow. We were really going to do this.

I thought for a minute. Probably the sooner the better, like ripping off a band aid or getting in a cold swimming pool- the quicker I did it, the less scared I would get.

"Give me a couple of days" I said "I still need to talk to Ginny. I don't want to rush her, but I'm ready to get the hiding-in-closets part of our relationship over with."


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** I _still _don't own anything having to do with the realm of Harry Potter. Bummer

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**A/N:** Look at me updating so quickly! I'm trying y'all, I really am :) Thanks so much to those of you who have been reviewing. I had seriously considered just stopping this story all together but the few of you who actually reviewed have kept me going. Thank you! Just a little heads up- I know I said that the last chapter was the one that made me change the rating, but this chapter _really _earned it. So, consider yourself warned.

Okay.. Happy Reading! I hope you enjoy it :)

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"I know, Ginny, and I'm sorry. It just seems easier this way. It won't have to be this big ordeal." I said, once again pleading my case for why she should be the one to let the huge cat out of the bag.

"But Hermione, everyone is going to think I'm a terrible friend… that I betrayed you. Especially after I didn't talk to you forever, everybody is going to think I'm just awful." She looked so worried that I almost told her to forget it, but I couldn't do that. Now that I had the idea in my head, this seemed like the only way.

"But we will know the truth, Ginny. Besides, you don't have to go around whispering about me in the corridors. Just act like you said something accidentally." I shrugged, trying to make it seem simple, but I knew she wasn't going to see it that way.

"How could I do that?" She asked, her voice raising slightly "No one even talks about you anymore, who's going to bring you up?"

She was right of course, no one even thought about me at all, except maybe Harry and Ron. Even though they still weren't speaking to me, I did occasionally catch them looking at me when they thought I couldn't see.

And that's when the light bulb above my head lit up.

"Ginny.. that's it!" I exclaimed, grinning at her.

"What's it?" She asked, confusion written all over her face.

"I was just thinking, and I figured it out. You just have to tell Harry and Ron. If they don't bring me up, you do it for them. They are bound to say something about how much I've changed, or about me and Draco being friends and you can just tell them. No one will blame you for telling your brother and boyfriend- especially not when they used to be my best friends. You just have to tell them when there are a lot of people around, because you know Ron will completely explode. And- bam! Everyone knows by morning." I smiled again, practically giddy that it could be so easy.

I was already sitting in Defense Against the Dark Arts when Draco walked in. I decided to live a little dangerously and smile at him when he looked at me. What did it matter? Everyone would know soon enough anyway. Ginny had agreed to tell Harry and Ron sometime tonight, so all I had to do was be out of Gryffindor tower until I was sure everyone was in bed. That wouldn't be too hard… I had somewhere else to be anyway.

Draco smiled back at me, but raised his eyebrow in confusion. I normally looked at my books or the floor when he walked in. I looked around the room to see what my chances of being seen were, and decided they were slim to none. There were still a few minutes left until class, and most everyone stayed out in the hall talking until they absolutely had to come in. The few students who were in the classroom were talking quietly or studying.

Quickly, I took out a small piece of parchment and wrote "Meet me at 8 o'clock. I have a surprise for you." Then, I took out another piece of parchment, scrunched it up in a ball, and walked to the front of the classroom to throw it away. On my way, I dropped the note in front of Draco as I walked past his table.

The rest of the day, I felt nervous and excited at the same time. I knew that as soon as everyone found out about me and Draco everything would change, and I just hoped that the change in our relationship would be for the better. I kept trying to imagine what the next few days would be like, but it was always different. Sometimes I would envision us sitting together in class and everyone in the room staring at us as the professor lectured. Other times, I would imagine that we walked through the halls holding hands and no one even noticed we were there. Then, I would picture us walking into the dining hall together and people throwing food at us. They all seemed pretty extreme, but as this point nothing would really shock me.

I ate my supper in a hurry, eager to be finished. Ginny and I sat beside each other but neither of us said much. Nothing we needed to talk about could be said at the dinner table. When I said that I was going to go catch up on some homework and announced, more loudly than necessary so that everyone around would hear, that I might be in really late, Ginny nudged me under the table and smiled.

I went to Gryffindor tower first, and up to my room. I stood in front of the floor-length mirror that hung on the back of my closet door, and contemplated whether I should change into jeans or keep my skirt on. I wanted to look good, but I didn't want it to seem like I was trying too hard. In the end, I decided on keeping my skirt on, but I shortened it by a couple of inches and smoothed the wrinkles and creases out with magic. I changed out of my button up shirt and replaced it with a simple, three-quarter length white top. Then, I magically smoothed my hair out, brushed my teeth, took one last look in the mirror, and left.

I arrived in front of the Room of Requirement almost half an hour before I had asked Draco to meet me. I wasn't quite sure what it was that I wanted, so I didn't know what to ask for. I ran a few ideas through my mind, and then dismissed each one in turn. Nothing seemed quite right. Finally, I decided to keep it simple with, "I need somewhere that Draco and I can be together" and hoped against hope that the Room of Requirement could read between the lines.

I walked through the door and smiled. The room was small, but beautiful. Hundreds of soft, glowing candles floated above my head, covering the room in a warm, dim light. Against the back wall was a bed larger than any I had ever seen, covered in white and gold silk bedding and several oversized pillows. Draped around the bed was a beautiful shear golden canopy. It swirled gracefully around the tall posters of the bed and puddled on the floor.

I walked across the small room to the fireplace that was nestled in the wall adjacent to the bed and tapped it with my wand. Instantly, a small fire appeared, casting the room in a deep, golden glow. I kicked my shoes off and sat them near the fire place, rolling my socks up beside them.

I curled my toes in the thick, plush carpet and smiled. Looking around the room, I took a deep breath. So, this was it. Just as the butterflies started really fluttering in my stomach, the door opened slowly and Draco walked in, looking around.

"Hi" He said, looking slightly perplexed as he continued to look around.

"Hi." I said as I looked him up and down with what I hoped was subtlety. I would never tell him so, his ego definitely didn't need any stroking, but I could spend hours just staring at him…. his pale blond hair fell messily in his eyes in a way I was sure his mother wouldn't approve of, his mouth that seemed to curve up in an easy smirk without him even thinking about it, the way his body never looked awkward- even just standing still he looking totally confident, perfectly at ease.

I smiled at him and walked towards him slowly. When I was standing just a couple of inches away from him, he reached his hand out to me, pushing a strand of hair out of my eyes and smiled.

"What's all this?"

"I told you I had a surprise for you."

"Oh, this is the surprise?" He asked, teasingly "That you have grown tired of sitting on the floor with me?"

I chuckled softly and kissed him lightly on the mouth.

"Not at all." I said, shaking my head "And this really isn't the surprise… more like the backdrop."

I smirked at him and he eyed me carefully. He took my wrist in his hand and made a show of looking up the sleeves of my shirt.

"I don't see anything… but there's something up there, I know it."

I smiled coyly and turned away from him, walking toward the bed. I sat on the edge of the bed and reached out for him. He walked towards me, stopping only when his legs hit the bed. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled his mouth down to mine. I kissed him firmly and slowly, enveloping his lips with mine and massaging his tongue with my own.

I leaned back on the bed, pulling him down with me and pulled myself further up so that we were both completely on the bed. He looked at me, still a hint of questioning in his eyes, before he leaned towards me, capturing my mouth with his.

And, God, could that boy kiss. It never failed to surprise me how easily he took my breath away, how quickly my mind went to mush and my heart started to run out of control. Would I ever get used to the reactions he brought out in my body?

I shiver ran down my back as his hand tickled across my stomach. I pulled my arms down away from his neck and rested my hands at his waist. I slid my hands up the sides of his torso, pulling his shirt with me. He pulled his mouth away from mine reluctantly, and allowed me to remove his shirt completely.

I smirked at him, if it were up to me he would never wear a shirt. I trailed my fingers along his chest, down his stomach and into the waist of his jeans. I heard him inhale sharply as my hand found its way just inside the band of his boxers. He was watching me very carefully, probably wondering what had gotten in to me.

He didn't wonder about it for long. Before I knew it, his mouth was back on mine, firmer and quicker this time. His lips crushed against mine as his tongue swept around my mouth. I sighed in contentment and kissed him back eagerly. Again, it was like I couldn't get enough of him. My lips couldn't press against his hard enough. I couldn't feel his body against mine closely enough. I pressed my hand against the small of his back and pulled myself closer to him, curving my body around his. My back was arched slightly off the bed, and he took the opportunity to easily slide his hand in the back of my shirt. He ran his fingers slowly up and down my spine, causing me to shudder. His kisses became more feverish as my hands tightened on his body.

He quickly pulled my shirt up off my head and started lying quick, light kisses all along my throat, shoulder, collar bone and chest. He then trailed kisses down the inside of my arms, and I felt as if my entire body had gone limp. He captured both of my wrists and pinned them above my head in one hand. He stared down at me, his dark eyes piercing through my own, and leaned down towards my body once again.

He mouth came down between my rib cage and he began kissing me up and down my stomach. His tongue dipped into my naval and I squirmed underneath him, holding my breath. He looked up at me and smirked before releasing my wrists and rolling over onto his back, bringing me with him so that I was on top of him, my legs straddling his. I planted my hands on either side of his head and kissed him, first on the for head, then on his chin, and finally on his throat. I kissed him along the crook of his neck, and then up to his ear. I nibbled lightly on his earlobe and heard him groan slightly. I smiled to myself and brought my mouth around to meet his. I kissed him slowly, and passionately, trying to memorize how each movement felt. No matter what happened, I never wanted to forget how this felt.

His arms came around me and quickly unfastened the hooks of my bra and pulled it off of me. Then, in one smooth movement, he rolled us back over so that he was, once again, hovering above me. He kissed me once on the lips, and then moved down to my breasts. He put his mouth around one of my nipples and sucked it slowly, lightly rolling his tongue around the tip. I exhaled slowly and pulled my hands up from where they had been lying limply at my side. I rested my left hand on his shoulder and curled my right hand around the front of his jeans. I flicked my wrist, undoing the button and slowly pulled the zipper down. I brought my other hand down and was tugging at the top of his jeans, attempted to pull them down when seemed to realize what I was doing, and much to my frustration, pulled his mouth away from my breast and looked at me. I groaned in protest and looked up at him, pouting.

"Hermione" He said, breathlessly, clearly trying to regain control "We should stop."

I was shaking my head before he was even finished speaking.

"Shhhh" I said, putting my finger against his lips. "I don't want to stop. Not this time."

He looked at me quizzically, and I took the opportunity to push him off of me, so that he was on his knees in front of me. I sat up, and pulled myself up on my knees, as well. Keeping my eyes on his, I reached behind me and unzipped my skirt, allowing it to fall down around my hips. He continued to stare at me, as if he was completely transfixed. I took his hand in mine and laid down, pulling him down over me. Once I was sure he wasn't going to fall down on top of me, I took my hand out of his and hooked both thumbs in the band of my skirt. I arched myself up off the bed slightly, and eased the skirt out from under me, pulling it down off my hips, around my knees, and finally kicking it off completely.

Draco allowed his eyes to roam over my nearly-naked figure once before closing his eyes and shaking his head.

"This is your last chance--" He started, but I cut him off.

"Shhh" I said again. "I have what I've been waiting for. I know that this is real, and tomorrow everyone will know." I smiled up at him softly "I don't need to wait anymore, and I don't want to."

No sooner had I finished speaking than his lips were on mine again, and his hands were everywhere. I ran my fingers through his hair and cupped the back of his neck with my left hand. With my right, I once again, attempted to pull his jeans off of him. He took the hint this time, and pushed himself up slowly. I leaned up slightly and watched his lean figure move in the candle light. He stood up beside the bed and stepped out of his shoes and then his jeans. He stood there for a moment, in the soft glow of the fire and candles, as we looked at each other. I bit my lip as my eyes raked over his body. Every single inch of him was perfect. At least… every inch that I could see.

As if he could read my mind, he smirked coyly at me and leaned over the bed as far as he could and kissed me. I kissed him back and before long my thoughts didn't exist any more. I barely even noticed him sliding my knickers down my legs, tossing to them to the floor along with our other clothes. He pulled himself back on the bed, only breaking the kiss for a second.

After a couple of minutes, I broke away from him to breathe and stared up at the ceiling, trying to form a coherent thought. I felt as if every inch of my body was alive. I could practically feel my skin cells crawling. Draco ran his fingers from my throat, down between my breasts, and over my stomach. I felt something in the pit of my stomach tighten. I inhaled sharply, and clenched my legs tighter together.

He looked at me for a moment before bringing his hand down lower, down past the barrier of soft, curly hair. He ran his fingers along the inside of my thigh, causing me to part my legs slightly. He brought his mouth down over mine and I groaned inwardly as he placed one of his legs between mine, spreading my legs further apart. He kissed me slowly at first, running his tongue along my bottom lip and then dipping it lightly into my mouth, only to pull it out again. Teasing me. No sooner had I realized that did I realize I was wrong. Not teasing me, distracting me.

His hand was running lightly up and down along the inside of my thigh, and just as I realized what he was doing, he spread my wet fold apart and slowly pushed one finger inside of me. I whimpered softly, barely allowing myself to believe how good that one simple movement felt. It was as if that was what I had been wanting for so long, without even realizing it. My whole body seemed to tense and relax all at once as he pulled his finger back out and then pushed it back in again. He continued to kiss me- softly and slowly as he pressed his thumb against the small little nub above where his finger continued to move in and out. I gasped slightly and then groaned out loud as he started making tiny little circles with his thumb. My legs parted instinctively, and all I could think was "please don't let him stop."

My head fell back slowly and his mouth traveled down my neck and made its way to my breast. He kissed along the rim of my nipple, and darted his tongue across the tip quickly. I shuddered as I felt another of his fingers enter me, joining the other in its rhythm. I tensed around his fingers, my tight body not used to the intrusion.

His thumb continued to make small circles around the button between my folds and I wiggled underneath him. The knot in the pit of my stomach tightened again and I felt small shudders started running down my spine. I moaned softly and opened my eyes to see him looking at me. He pulled his fingers out of me slowly and removed his boxer shorts. Never moving his eyes from my own, he positioned himself between my legs and I took a deep breath. I could feel his hardness against me as he leaned down and whispered lightly in my ear "This is going to hurt". I nodded slowly and took a deep breath.

He sucked lightly on my ear lobe before bringing his mouth around to mine. He kissed me smoothly as he pulled my arms around and braced them around his neck. He kissed me once more before moving his mouth around to my neck. He kissed me where my neck met my shoulders and then bit down just as he pushed himself into me.

I could feel my inner walls trying to push him out, and I couldn't blame them. His fingers had just felt uncomfortable but this hurt. I gritted my teeth and closed my eyes, trying not to let him know how badly this hurt. He planted soft, light kisses all over my face- across my nose and eye lids, down my cheeks, on the corner of my mouth, before kissing me soundly on the lips.

Otherwise, he didn't move. He seemed to be trying very hard not to move inside me, and briefly it occurred to me that it must have been difficult for him. Once the initial sting had gone away, I looked up at him and for just a second I forgot that I was in pain. Seeing him there, hovering above me in the dim, golden, glow, I remembered how badly I had wanted this. I smiled up at him softly and nodded. He kissed me again and pushed the rest of his length inside of me…. And the stinging was back. I hooked my leg around his waist, desperate to do anything to make it feel better.

He still didn't move, but ran his fingers lightly across my left nipple. He pinched and pulled at it softly, causing me to groan despite the tightness between my legs. He brought his mouth down on my other nipple and bit softly, causing my back to arch. As I moved, I felt a burst of tingles run across my body. Curious, I shifted myself slightly again.

Encouraged by my movement, Draco began thrusting slowly, pulling himself out and then back in and he continued to tweak my nipples. Electric sparks started running through my body, starting where he was thrusting in and out of me. I began moving with him, rising up towards him and he came down on me.

"You're. So. Tight." He said through clenched teeth as he braced himself with both arms, planting them on either side of my head.

He began moving more quickly, the length of him pumping in and out of me, brushing against my most sensitive parts, shooting fireworks through my body as he did so. It felt as if he was filling every inch of me.

I whimpered and moaned his name as I felt the pit of my stomach tighten once more. I clenched my legs around him and threw my head back as the electric waves ran through me, causing my entire body to convulse and then go limp.

Soon after, he groaned loudly and came, collapsing on top of me.

I fell asleep with his body still lying on top of me, the warm stickiness still running down my thighs. And despite the tight soreness between my legs, I fell asleep content.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: You know the drill, none of its mine. Just the silly plot. **

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**A/N: Thanks to those of you that are still reading... adding me to your alerts and favorites list, and a special thank you to the few of you who are reviewing. Really, I wish you could all see how happy it makes me to get those emails. It's a little pathetic now that I think about it... Also, I wanted to tell you all that if there is something in particular you would like to see happen in this story, let me know. I can't promise that I can make it work, but if I can fit it in- I will!**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! **

When I woke up, at first I couldn't figure out why all my muscles felt so tight, why every tiny movement caused my body to tense. And then, a smooth, muscular arm tightened around my bare abdomen and I smiled, remembering.

I stretched my legs out and blushed slightly as I realized that I was still completely naked. I didn't even remember getting under the covers, and I certainly didn't remember cleaning myself up but… Draco must have. I smiled again and turned myself around in his arms so that I was facing him.

He was still asleep… his mouth opened slightly, hair falling in his eyes, his head tilted towards me. I could definitely get used to waking up to that.

I wasn't sure what time it was, but the sun was streaming in through the small window above the bed so I knew we needed to be getting up pretty soon. I looked at Draco for just a moment more then cupped my hand around his cheek and tapped his fingers lightly on his face. He flinched slightly, but otherwise didn't move. I leaned in towards him and blew in his ear.

"Draaa-co" I said, my mouth almost touching his skin. He squeezed his eyes tight and formed his mouth in a small pout. I giggled and tickled him softly.

"It's time to wake uuupppp." I sing songed. I kissed him lightly on the lips and then hopped out of bed quickly, scurrying over to grab up my clothes. I scooped them up in my arms and knelt down near the front of the bed, completely out of sight, to put them on.

I adjusted my bra and went to grab my knickers, but they weren't there. I shrugged and pulled my skirt on, not bothering to zip it and shoved my arms through my shirt.

"Hermione?" Draco said sleepily.

I stood up and turned to see him half-sitting on the bed, looking around. When I popped up, he frowned.

"What were you doing? Come back to bed." He said, lazily patting the spot beside him.

"Can't" I said smiling at him as I reached behind me to zip my skirt, "We have to go to class." I got down on my knees and looked under the bed.

"You're weird in the morning" He said, yawning, sounding slightly amused. "What are you doing now?"

"I don't understand.. Where could they have gone?" I muttered to myself as I stood up and glanced around me.

"Where what could have gone?" He asked, sitting up and swinging his legs off the bed. I turned in time to see him pulling his boxers on. I blushed slightly and diverted my gaze and he chuckled.

"What's the matter?" He asked teasingly, reaching his arm out and snaking it around my waist "You've seen me more naked than this." He smirked at me and pulled me down in his lap.

"We really have to go to class. I don't even know what time it is, but I'm sure we are running late." I whined, turning to kiss him once before standing up.

"Fine" He groaned, as he stood up and grabbed his jeans off the floor.

"I can't find my knickers." I said, sighing.

He laughed. Loudly.

"What is so funny about that?" I asked him, incredulously, placing my hands on my hips. That just caused him to laugh even more.

"You. Just look. So… serious." He managed to get out.

"I _am _serious." I insisted.

He took a step towards me and wound his arms around my waist. I tried to squirm away from him but he held me close and tried to slide his hand up my skirt.

"You mean you aren't wearing anything under here?" He mused, still laughing softly.

I slapped him playfully on the head and stepped away from him.

"Draco, we really have to go and I can't imagine that you want me to walk around all day with nothing under my skirt any more than I do." I reasoned, trying to work my face into a pout. He considered it for a minute and then narrowed his eyes at me before reaching around me. He pulled my knickers off of the bed post and twirled them around his finger.

I snatched them away and looked at him pointedly.

"What?" He asked innocently.

"I have to put them on." I said, motioning for him to turn around.

He looked at me like I had five heads and muttered "So modest all of a sudden." Before picking his shirt up off the floor and turning around to put it on.

Once I was completely dressed, I sat down in the floor and started pulling my shoes and socks on.

"What time do you think it is?" I asked, looking up at him

He picked his wand up, twirled it once, muttered a quick incantation, and a huge clock appeared in the air.

"About half past seven" He said, stepping into his shoes as the clock began to fade into thin air.

So I could change clothes or eat breakfast, but I wouldn't have time to do both.

Draco looked at me briefly before looking down at his jeans and t shirt and said "I'll have to go change."

I nodded at him. So that settled it. I was prepared to brave the gossiping throngs of the Dining Hall, but I wasn't prepared to do it without him.

"Let's go." I said, smiling, reaching my hand out to him. He took it in his and smiled back at me.

By the time I stepped through the door into the Gryffindor common room, everyone was at breakfast and it was completely empty. I hurried up the stairs to my room, threw my closet door open and looked in the mirror.

Wow. I looked…well, I wasn't exactly sure. My first instinct was the think that I looked terrible. My hair was in total disarray, I could only be thankful that I hadn't passed anyone on my way up. There was mascara smudged under my eyes, faint red lines crossing my right cheek, and my clothes were completely wrinkled.

Still, I thought I looked kind of pretty- just not in the typical way. Sure, I could have been mistaken for a homeless person, but I would have been a very happy homeless person. My cheeks were tinted a light pink, my eyes were bright, and I couldn't stop smiling. Despite my hair, makeup, and clothes… I was glowing.

I rolled my eyes for even thinking the word "glowing" and went to work. I stripped out of my clothes, flicked my wrist and muttered "perluo". I really didn't like cleaning myself by magic, I preferred to shower the "normal" way, but there just wasn't time.

Once I had put on my knickers and a bra, I stepped back into my closet and grabbed the first skirt my hands fell on, yanked it on quickly, and pulled a white button down shirt off a hanger.

I was almost out the door when I forgot about my tie. I glanced around my room, finally saw it hanging on my chair, and pulled it on quickly before throwing my bag over my shoulder and running out the door.

I had really hoped I would have a chance to talk to Ginny before I saw anyone else, but realistically, that just wasn't possible.

Fortunately, or unfortunately- I hadn't decided yet, my first class was with Draco.

Not only did I not know how everyone was going to react, I didn't even know for sure if everyone knew. Maybe Ginny hadn't gotten a chance to talk to Harry and Ron about it, or maybe they hadn't even cared.

Either way, I had to know what I was up against, so I took a deep breath and stepped out of the door from Gryffindor tower, turned the corner, and made my way down to the main floor of the castle.. As soon as I got down the stairs, my question was answered.

My feet hit the floor just as most of the students starting filing out of the Great Hall. They came out in pairs and groups, and they were all talking excitedly. Still, it was as if every single one of them sensed my presence. They all stopped talking and turned to look at me. I paused mid-step, completely unsure of what to do. I stared ahead and my gaze was met with dozens of shocked faces. My classmates gawked at me with the mouths open and their eyes wide. Several people nudged or poked someone around them, and after the longest few seconds of my life, everyone seemed to start whispering all at once and walked very quickly past me.

I had known this was coming, so why did I suddenly want to run back to my room and hide under the covers? I turned sharply and was about to do just that when someone caught my arm. I looked up, expecting to see Harry or Ron glaring down at me, or maybe one of Draco's doting fans preparing to deck me.

I was wrong. My eyes fell on his face and I smiled gratefully.

"I thought you might want to walk to class together." Draco said, smiling at me.

I stepped up to the next step so that I was standing right beside him, and allowed my weight to slump against him.

I tried to tell him what I had been about to do, but my voice was muffled against the fabric of his shirt.

"You were what?" He asked, chuckling softly as he ran his hand up and down my back.

I leaned away from him and tilted my face up to look at him.

"I was about to go hide under the covers." I said meekly, lowering my eyes.

"Already embarrassed of me?" He asked teasingly, bumping his hip into mine as he took my hand and began leading me the rest of the way down the stairs and down the corridor.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You know that's not it." I shook my head, remembering the looks on everyone's faces. "You should have seen the way they looked at me, like… I don't even know what."

He laughed softly and squeezed my hand. "It's because they know you're shagging me and they're all just jealous." He said, grinning down at me.

I stopped and turned to look at him.

"How would they know that?" I demanded, looking at him harshly. "How could they know, it just happened last night. Are you already telling people?" I could feel my face getting hot as I glared up at him expectantly.

Draco looked back at me with a curious expression on his face.

"What?" He asked, a trace of laughter in his voice.

I stared back at him, so he thought this was a joke?

The humor his face and his expression softened as he looked at me, clearly able to see that I wasn't kidding. "It was a joke." He said simply "I was trying to lighten the mood, but I can see now that you aren't in the mood. I'm sorry." He held his hands up in the air as if he were surrendering and looked at me carefully, trying to gage my reaction.

I bit my lip and closed my eyes. He was right. It wasn't his fault I was already in a bad mood.

I looked up at him and offered him a feeble attempt at a smile. I took his hand back in mine and continued our way down the hall. As we got closer to the classrooms on the main floor, we started passing people in the hallway- people staring, people whispering, people coming to a complete stop as we passed.

I gritted my teeth and held Draco's hand tighter, reminding myself that I had known this would happen and that it would all be over soon. Still, I couldn't help but think it would only get worse before it got better. After all, we still hadn't gone to class yet, and I hadn't even seen the people I dreaded most.

I began slowing my pace as we neared the classroom, so that by the time we reached the door I was at a complete standstill. Draco looked down at me, a smirk crossing his face.

"Ready?"

I shook my head and tried to swallow the lump in my throat.

"Hermione" He said, drawling my name out slowly, "We have to go in."

"Nope." I said, stubbornly, shaking my head "We could skip class." I smiled up at him hopefully.

"Hermione Granger wanting to skip class? What _has _this world come to?" He asked, mockingly, grinning down at me.

"Come on" I said, coyly, "I'm sure we can find something better to do." I smiled at him in a way that I hoped was flirtatious, and tried to pull him away from the door. He didn't budge.

"Nice try" He said, pulling me back towards him. He leaned down so that his mouth was right at me ear, and somewhere in the back of my mind I registered the fact that no one in the hallway was talking, or moving… maybe not even breathing anymore. They all just stared. "There is nothing I would love more than spending all day with you…" He paused and ran his hand slowly down my back "preferably in bed." He finished, blowing lightly in my ear. My stomach flip-flopped and my knees felt like they were made of jelly. I inhaled sharply and tried to pull away from him, but he held me in place. "But we really, really have to go to class. If we hide, it will never get better." He looked at me for a moment and then shifted his gaze and looked around us at the semi-circle of our classmates that had formed around us.

He raised one of his eyebrows and formed his mouth into a scowl. People immediately turned around, looked at the ceiling, and generally made bad attempts at looking casual.

Draco dragged me through the door into the empty classroom. How odd that no one was in here yet… but then, I guess they were all in the hall staring at us. I rolled my eyes and continued to let Draco pull me towards the back of the classroom. He came to a stop at the table in the back corner and pulled my chair out for me. I lowered myself into it and laid my head on the desk.

I sat like there for a few moments, listening to the sounds of my classmates getting settled in their seats and of their whispers- no doubt about me. I looked up at Draco and frowned.

"It will get better you know." He said, smiling at me. "Once Professor Flitwick comes in, he wont allow them to turn and stare at us… or whisper during class. It won't be so bad."

I nodded slowly "I guess you're right." My voice sounded unconvincing, even to me.

I looked up at the door just in time to see Harry and Ron walk in. They both looked fit to be tide. I rested my hand on Draco's knee and squeezed. He glanced at me briefly and followed my stare to where Harry and Ron had come to a complete stop just inside the classroom and were glaring at us.

Without shifting his gaze or changing his expression, Draco spoke through his teeth "You don't think they'll pull anything in class, do you?"

"I don't think so." I muttered back. But, I couldn't be sure. I bit down on my lip hard as I realized that I couldn't be positive what they would do. I felt like I didn't even know them anymore. Draco obviously saw them as capable of causing a problem for us and I couldn't even argue with him. A sad feeling rushed through my stomach and I lowered my eyes to look at the table as they started making their way to a desk on the opposite side of the room.

Class finally got underway and people were forced to stop staring and whispering. I took my notes silently, glancing up at Draco a few times when I felt his gaze on me. He offered me a weak smile, but I could tell there was something on his mind- just as he could probably tell about me. I wondered if maybe he was regretting the whole thing. Maybe now that he saw how it was really going to be, he had decided it wasn't worth it.

Or was that really what I was thinking?

I pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind and refocused on taking notes.

Somewhere along the way, though, I lost concentration again because before I knew it, Draco was brushing his fingers lightly across my face and saying my name softly. I shivered and looked up at him, confused.

"Daydreaming?" He asked. His voice was casual, but the concerned look on his face gave him away.

I smiled up at him and, noticing that the class was completely empty except for us, stood up and grabbed my books.

"This is harder than you thought." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

I nodded but didn't say anything.

"It will get better." He said, and then smirked at me before adding "It can't get worse."

"Don't say that." I groaned, leaning against him as we walked up the stairs, more slowly that we should have been considering we were late.

"What class do you have next, anyway?" I asked.

"Divination." He said, rolling his eyes.

I chuckled softly, thinking once again how glad I was that I had dropped that class. We reached the top of the stairs and he stopped.

"And so, this is where I leave you." He said, dramatically, forming his mouth into a firm line and staring at me with his piercing grey eyes.

I bit my lip and looked at the ground, embarrassed at being upset that I couldn't go with him. I hated divination, but still…. Going to Ancient Runes alone and subjecting myself to the stares and whispers of my classmates without him suddenly seemed worse than the pointless babbling of Professor Trelawny.

"Hey now" He said, pulling my into a hug and squeezing me tightly. "I'm not going off to war. I'll see you at lunch."

I laughed into his chest and rolled my eyes at myself. He was right. I was being ridiculous.

"I know." I said, pulling myself away from him and trying to smile. "I'm being silly. I'll be okay, this morning has just been … weird."

I squeezed his hand tightly once and then turned away from him and went to class.

Ancient Runes wasn't as bad as charms had been. For one thing, there weren't as many students in there. For another, I think part of the shock had warn off and at least a few people were sick of talking about me, and as much as I hated to admit it… it seemed to make it better than Draco and I weren't together.

The rest of the day passed much the same way. I felt like I was on a mental and emotional roller coaster. I dreaded going to class because Draco wouldn't be there; I dreaded going to lunch because he would. By the time my last class got out for the day, all I could think about was taking a long, hot bath and trying to catch a quick nap. I caught up with Draco before I went to the Prefect's bathroom and told him I would see him at supper. He looked me over carefully, as if he was trying to read my thoughts, and I tried my best to put on a happy face for him.

I took my time in the bath tub, allowing the hot water to work the tightness out of my muscles, and hopefully my mind. I stretched my legs out fully and winced at the pain that shot through my thighs. I smiled to myself, remembering what had caused it. Could it be possible that it was just last night? It suddenly seemed like days ago.

When I made it back to the Gryffindor common room, I had to absolutely force myself to go through the door. I knew people would be in there, doing homework, talking, wasting time before supper. I was afraid they would say something to me, and I was afraid that they wouldn't.

I took a deep breath, clenched my fists, and muttered the password through gritted teeth. As I stepped through the entry way into the common room, several heads turned towards me and eyes widened, but no one said a word. I glanced around the room and saw Harry and Ron playing chess in the corner. Ron was glaring at me fiercely, and Harry seemed to be murmering something to him. Probably trying to keep him from killing me, I thought.

I turned and walked purposefully towards the staircase. I was almost there when someone called my name. I turned around quickly, surprised. I hadn't realized it, but I wasn't used to anyone but Draco, Ginny, and the professors saying my name. Not lately.

When I saw who was culprit was, a range of emotions coursed through me. I felt relieved, and hopeful, and nervous, and… as much as I hated it, I felt scared.

I tried twice to swallow the lump in my throat before giving up and resorting to talking around it.

"Harry." I finally managed to choke out.

"Hi, Hermione." He was staring at the floor and shifting his weight from side to side, something I recognized from being around him many times when he was nervous.

I waited for him to say something else. Afterall, he was the one who came up to me, but he just stood there, awkwardly. Whatever he had to say couldn't be worse than just standing here staring at the floor and ceiling while everyone else stared at us.

"So…" I said, finally.

Harry took a deep breath and looked at me, square in the eye. I wanted to look away but I forced myself to hold his gaze.

"Hermione," He said, looking incredibly uncomfortable. For the first time, I realized how hard this must have been for him. As much as I didn't understand it, he had seen my friendship with Draco as a personal betrayal, and he had just found out it was much worse than he had imagined. At least he was trying to talk to me. The least I could do was make it a little bit easier for him.

I offered him a weak smile and inclined my head towards him slightly, hoping to encourage him to go on.

"Look," He said, with a sound of determination in his voice, "I only came over hear to tell you that Ron is threatening to kill Malfoy. Not that I would necessarily care, but I thought you at least had a right to know. I don't think he will actually do anything, but at this point… " He trailed off and I looked at him with confusion written all over my face. He couldn't be serious?

"I just don't know." He continued "I guess what I'm trying to say, is that I wouldn't be surprised if he started firing hexes at him down the hall."

I nodded at him slowly, unsure of what to say. He looked up at me for a moment, and then glanced back over his shoulder. I followed his gaze and saw Ron staring angrily out the window. Harry looked back at me and shook his head.

"It doesn't have to be like this, Harry. This doesn't have to be about choosing. I didn't choose him over you." I said, knowing all along they were probably wasted words.

"You did choose, Hermione. And what makes it even worse…. is that you did it without realizing the choice you were making."


	16. Chapter 16

**Fact 1:** Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling

**Fact 2:** I am not her.

**Conclusion:** It isn't mine.

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**A/N: I wish I had some awesome excuse for why it's been so long since I've updated, but I don't. All I can say are things I'm sure you've heard before- but that doesn't make them any less true. School has been beyond crazy, but is, thankfully, coming to an end this week. With that and the fact that I've been sick off and on for about a month, and writing just hasn't happened. I really am sorry, though, and I DO realize how frustrating this is... you are free to call me ugly names if you like :) I do hope to do better now that school is ending. Plus, I wont be working for a few weeks, so I should have more free time. **

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The night after my conversation with Harry, I cried myself to sleep for the first time in a long time. I did manage to drag myself down to the Dining Hall, but only because I didn't want Draco to worry.

It was a wasted effort.

He took one look at me and knew something was wrong. I picked at my food for a few minutes, trying to concentrate on anything to keep me from bursting into tears right then and there. Every time I looked up, Draco was looking at me. I tried to smile at him once, but the look on his face told me he wasn't buying it. Finally, he caught my eye and jerked his head toward the door. I followed him out, all too aware that half of the Dining Hall was watching. Briefly, I wondered if Ron had attempted to hex him or if he was waiting for at least a slightly smaller audience.

Draco leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. He looked at me expectantly, with one eyebrow raised. For a second, he looked every bit as arrogant and condescending as he ever had. For some reason, that made me smile.

Finally, he spoke.

"Is it me?" He demanded, his tone harsher than I was used to.

"If what you?" I asked, my brow furrowed.

"You are clearly upset." He said, gesturing towards me. "I feel like it's a fair question: is it because of me?" This time his voice was softer, a question rather than a demand.

Something inside of me broke a little when I saw the hurt look on his face. I wanted to make him feel better, and I tried to smile, but suddenly I couldn't hold it in anymore. I closed the short distance between us and rested my head against him just as the tears broke through. The salt water quickly soaked through his shirt, but he just stood there and held me against him until I pulled away slowly and the tears started to subside. He put his hands on my waist and held me slightly away from him as he looked me over.

"Come on" He said after a second. He took my hand and led me down the hallway. He pulled me into a room I had never noticed- tucked in the corner- it looked like an unused office. Draco sat on the large desk at the front of the room and pulled me close to him so that his legs were on either side of me.

"Now" He said, looking at me pointedly, "What is it I've done to make you so upset? Whatever it is, I'm fairly certain it wasn't intentional."

I shook my head, but at first didn't say anything. I didn't know if I even wanted to tell him; I wasn't sure how he would react.

"Harry talked to me earlier." I said, looking down. "He… said some things."

Draco's face instantly hardened. He raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything.

"He said he just wanted to warn me because of Ron. Apparently he has… made some threats, I guess."

In one movement, Draco pushed me away carefully and was off the desk.

"He threatened you?" He demanded. His eyes were cold and his face was hard. He was facing slightly toward the door, and I knew all it would take would be a nod of me head and he would be gone.

"No" I said, reaching for his hand. "He didn't threaten me. He threatened you."

He turned toward me and his face softened. He pulled me toward him and ran his hands up and down my sides.

"You know", He said in my ear. "I'm a big boy. I can take care of myself."

I nodded against his chest.

"Is that all?" He asked.

I nodded again. I would probably tell him the other things Harry said, but not now. I knew I would just get upset a gain.

When I got back to the common room, I made a point not to look at anyone. I didn't want to see the anger on Ron's face, or even worse, the disappointment on Harry's.

I made it to my room and was in the bed before the crying returned. I just didn't know what to do anymore. I would have never thought it was possible to be so happy and so miserable at the same time.

Still, even with my tear filled nights and mixed-up emotions, the world continued to turn and time continued to pass, just as my mom had always told me it would. I worked on staying on top of my school work, and started becoming the kind of girl I always said I would never be- spending all my time with my boyfriend. The only condolence I could offer myself was that I didn't really have a lot of choices. People weren't exactly lining up to hang out with me.

And then Saturday morning came and Draco had quidditch...the last game of the year. I was torn; I wanted to watch, but who would I sit with? Even if I did get the courage up to go and sit with Ginny, all the Gryffindors would be cheering for Ravenclaw- cheering against Slytherin and against Draco. Besides, I knew I wasn't ready to face Harry and Ron again. Draco said I could sit with his friends, Blaise and Silas, but I wasn't so sure. Images of Pansy and her friends finally getting revenge on me for "stealing" Draco kept flashing through my mind.

And so, I had myself all geared up to say no, when he came to me just before he headed out to the quidditch pitch.

"Wish me luck." He whispered in my ear from behind me.

"I would…" I said, playfully, "But I can't see your face, and I would hate to wish luck to the wrong person."

He squeezed his arms around me and leaned in even closer.

"You better know who it is… who else grabs you in empty corridors?"

I chuckled softly and turned around in his arms so that I was facing him. I reached up and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"Good luck" I said, grinning at him.

"You're going to be there, right?" He asked, looking at me hopefully.

I sighed and looked at him without answering. I hadn't planned on it, but he looked like he really wanted me there, so I smiled and nodded.

A smile broke out across his face, and I suddenly realized that it was worth it. He didn't smile like that often, and if sitting miserably through a quidditch game was all it took – I would gladly accept it.

"Great. Okay, I gotta run, but I told Blaise and Silas to save you a seat."

I guess he saw my face fall slightly because he rolled his eyes slightly before continuing. "They aren't evil, Hermione, not any more than I am. I promise they'll take care of you. And if they don't … if they, or anyone else bothers you, you know all you have to do is tell me. Right?"

I bit my lip and nodded. He was right- his friends weren't evil; he wouldn't be leaving me with them if they were, so what was I so scared of?

Walking into the Slytherin section of the stands was completely surreal. It wasn't that everyone glared at me- that was something I was used to- it was just that I didn't really _know _anyone. Sure, I knew who several of them were, just from having classes with them, but there were a lot of Slytherin students that I didn't even know their names. Still, I swallowed the urge to turn around and run and glanced around, trying to look for Blaise in the crowd.

"Granger!" Someone yelled from above me, and my head jerked instinctively. There was Blaise, waving his arms at me. He was sitting in the very top row, almost exactly in the middle.

"Hi." I said, nervously, when I got to their seats.

"I'm glad you came. Drake was afraid you would back out." Blaise said, scooting over to make room for me beside him.

"This is Silas, by the way." He said, motioning to the guy on my other side. I had seen him around, but never knew his name. He was tall, almost as tall as Blaise, with almost black hair and bright blue eyes. And, just as Draco had promised, he didn't seem evil.

"So, I guess we are your body guards today, huh?" Blaise said, jokingly. I could tell he was trying to make me feel more comfortable, and even though it really wasn't working, I appreciated the effort. "I'm sorry for making you walk all the way up here; I just figured it was for the best."

I looked at him quizzically, what did he mean, for the best?

"You know… I didn't want your back to be to anyone." He explained and my mouth fell open in both surprise and understanding. "I don't _think _anyone would try to pull anything… not with me and Silas here, and especially not after Drake made the announcement this morning that anyone that bothered you would have Death Eaters to answer to….." He trailed off, probably because of the look on my face. My eyes were as wide as saucers and my jaw was hanging open.

Blaise grinned at me and Silas just chuckled.

" They can't really believe he would do that." I said, shaking my head.

"They believe him alright. Partially because they think he's just as horrible as you used to, and partially because I think he was serious." Blaise said, still grinning. "Anyway, I really don't think it will be a problem, but you know, just in case Pansy decides to spit gum in your hair or something, we thought you might feel more comfortable if your back wasn't to anyone."

I nodded and tried to swallow the lump in my throat. If walking in had been surreal… this was just plain bizarre. I never really thought Draco's friends would be _mean _to me, but I didn't expect them to be _nice...thoughtful _even. A little voice in my head reminded me that I wouldn't have thought Draco could be nice either. I shook the thoughts from my head and leaned slightly towards Silas so that I could see better.

The match passed uneventfully. My eyes stayed on Draco the entire time and, much to Blaise and Silas's enjoyment, I physically cringed every time anyone or anything came near him. But, in the end, he came out completely unscathed and perfectly happy after catching the snitch and winning it for Slytherin.

Afterwards, I went back to the dungeons with Blaise and Silas, after much protesting on my part. They assured me that I wasn't going to get in trouble, and that as long as I stayed with one of them I would be fine. So, I did just that. Until Draco came in from showering and getting dressed, I stayed practically attached to one of them constantly. More than once, Silas bumped into me while trying to turn around, and Blaise's girlfriend gave me more than my fair share of evil looks. I didn't care, I wasn't taking any chances.

I was sitting beside Silas on one of the plush green couches, so close that I was almost sitting on his hand when suddenly I couldn't see anymore. A knot formed in my stomach as two large hands covered my eyes. And then, as a pair of warm lips came down on the base of my neck, I smiled and allowed myself to relax.

"Guess who" Draco whispered in my ear, and no sooner were the words out of his mouth than I had jumped off the couch and thrown myself in his arms.

Silas stood up and shook his head as he called out to Blaise. "Can you believe this, man? Here I thought we were taking pretty good care of her."

Blaise laughed and walked over towards Draco.

"Really, Drake, I swear, no one even came near her." Blaise said, putting his hands in the air.

I narrowed my eyes at both of them as Draco took my hand and led me to the couch. I sat down beside him, but he pulled me into his lap and circled his arms around my waist.

"I have to say that I, personally, am relieved. When I came in and saw her all but sitting in Si's lap, I thought I was going to have a problem."

I felt the heat rise up in my cheeks as they all laughed, and I nudged Draco with my elbow.

"I'm afraid that's my fault, mate" Blaise said "I told her to stay near us until you got here, and you know Granger, she always does as she's told."

Before I could say anything in response, there was a knock at the door. We all looked at each other, wondering why someone was knocking. Anyone that would want to be in here knew the password, well, except for me. Briefly, I wondered if it was one of the professors looking for me, and quickly decided they wouldn't have any reason to. It wasn't as if anyone would have reported me missing.

Finally, someone opened the door from the inside and a house elf walked in, holding a folded piece of parchment in his hands, and made a direct path right to where we were sitting. Maybe I was wrong and someone was looking for me.

"Draco Malfoy" the house elf squeaked, looking up at us.

"Yes?" Draco asked, clearly looking confused.

"This owl came for you and we were given strict instructions to get it to you immediately. We are not to wait to breakfast, sir." The house elf explained, holding out the piece of parchment towards us.

Draco leaned forward and took it. He muttered thank you to the house elf, and looked around him before opening it. Everyone had gone back to their business after the knock at the door and no one was standing near us except for Silas and Blaise who were leaning against the wall talking. From what I could hear of the conversation, it sounded like Silas was trying to decide between which of two potential girls he should hit on and Blaise was giving his input.

I leaned my head down on Draco's shoulder and looked at him carefully. He looked nervous, probably thinking the same thing I was, that any news that couldn't wait until breakfast wasn't good news.

"Do you want me to go?" I asked, softly, but I made no effort to move.

"Absolutely not." He said, holding me tighter against him.

He slid his finger underneath the seal on the parchment, and opened it. For such a large piece of paper, it contained very few words.

_The plan has been finalized. Tell the girl you will come for her over Christmas break. At that time, you will both be informed of what is expected of you. Hope you are well. _

_LM_

Draco and I both looked at one another after we read the letter. He looked nervous, angry, and scared, but he also looked a little relieved.

"At least that gives us a little more time." He said, shrugging.

I bit my lip and nodded, trying to calculate the weeks in my head. Finals started on Thursday, which meant that school got out….. in less than two weeks.


	17. Chapter 17

**Fact 1:** Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling

**Fact 2:** I am not her.

**Conclusion:** It isn't mine.

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A/N: First of all, and most importantly, I want to say a huge gigantic sized THANK YOU to those of you who took the time to review this story or add it to your alert/favorite list. I know I've said it before, but I really do wish you could see how happy it makes me to get those emails from FanFiction. On second though, maybe its best that you can't see that, it might be kind of embarrassing, lol.

Anyway, Not as long of a wait for this chapter- but it still took a littler longer than I intended. It is a lot longer than the last one, though, the second longest chapter so far I think, so maybe that counts for something :) I hope you enjoy it... and thanks for reading!

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I yawned widely and stretched my arms above my head, trying to work my muscles out of the near-permanent kink I had worked them into. It seemed like ages since I had last shut myself up in the library and crammed for a test. It felt odd; almost like I was acting out of character, but at the same time like I was finally acting like myself.

For the first time in my life, finals had snuck up on me. I felt completely blindsided by how near they were and how ill prepared I felt. Draco constantly tried to reassure me, telling me that I knew more of the material than I thought I did and that it was virtually impossible for me not to do well.

"You're Hermione Granger" He had said, as if it should wash away all my worries. I just rolled my eyes and shooed him away; it was harder to concentrate when he was around.

I took a deep breath and gazed back down at my notes. Almost the entirety of the long library table was covered in my books. I knew it had to be getting late… I was looking around for a clock when the library door opened, causing me to jump.

I tried to look through the darkness but the light from my wand only lit a couple of feet around me, and I couldn't see anything beyond that. It didn't take long for me to recognize his lean, muscular frame, and I instantly relaxed.

Draco scowled at me as he neared my table, and pushed some books out of the way to sit down across from me.

"Why aren't you in bed?" He asked, his tone sounding more like my dad than I cared to think about.

"I told you I had to study." I answered simply, shrugging at him.

He smirked at me but didn't respond. We sat there for a minute, when suddenly a grin broke across his face.

"You look cute." He said, his tone mocking.

I rolled my eyes and gave him my best mean look. It didn't work- he laughed.

I knew I looked bad, but I hadn't exactly planned on anyone seeing me. I looked down at the old white t shirt I had on over a pair of Draco's sweats- they were rolled up about four times at my waist and my hair was looking worse than usual- piled up loosely on the top of my head.

"Hey now" He said, the laughter not completely leaving his voice, "You know I'm just kidding with you. Well… partially, anyway. You _do _look cute in my clothes." He smiled at me before adding "Almost as good as you look out of them."

I blushed. He smirked.

I glanced up at him from beneath my lashes and grinned. I braced my elbows and pulled my body up, laying it across the table. I leaned in so that my mouth was barely touching his and whispered "Not tonight." I kissed him once, a small peck on the lips, and then started to pull away.

Before I could move more than a centimeter his arm was around my back and his lips were on mine, hard and feverish.

So, my plan backfired. Oh well, I could deal with that.

I kissed him back, parting my lips and giving him the access he was after. His tongue plunged into my mouth and his lips crushed against mine. It wasn't long before I was gasping for air. He pulled away from me for a moment and stood, pushing his chair back from the table. That seemed to remind me how awkwardly I was lying across the table, so I shifted my weight, trying to shimmy back down to where my feet were on solid ground again.

I stood upright and reached to grab my books; no sense in trying to study when he was trying so hard to distract me. A little voice in my head tried to remind me that I had started it, but I pushed it to the back of my mind and ignored it.

"We might as well—"He didn't let me finish telling him we should go to bed.

"Shh" He said, wrapping one arm tightly around my waist and pulling my body right up against his. I inhaled sharply, and glanced up at him just as his mouth came down around mine.

This kiss was just as urgent as the last had been, and something about that unsettled me. For a brief second I wondered if something was wrong.

He didn't let me worry about it for long.

He trailed his tongue lightly across my bottom lip and then bit down on it lightly; that was my undoing. I threw my arms around his neck and tried to pull myself even closer to him. Draco cupped his right hand around my thigh pulled it up, hitching it around his hip. I could feel his hardness pressing against me, causing something to stir between my legs. I kissed him back more fervently, unable to get enough of him.

Somehow, without my realizing it, he had me pushed right up against the table, and then I was on top of it. And then I remembered where we were. I pulled myself away from him abruptly and planted both hands on his chest, trying to push him away. I bit my lip and tried to catch my breath.

"What's wrong?" He asked, concern evident on his face.

I shook my head, unsure that I could form a coherent sentence. "Library" I said, my breath still coming in heavy pants.

He smirked at me and pulled himself closer to me, situating himself back between my thighs. He leaned down and blew lightly in my ear. Shivers ran down my spine and I could feel my resolve slowly melting. He sucked on my ear lobe lightly before whispering, "There's no one here."

He trailed kisses along the base of my neck, across my shoulder and along my collar bone, patiently awaiting the moment he knew would come- the moment that I completely gave in.

He kept one hand on my waist, holding me against him but his other hand was free to roam; it slowly made its way up my shirt, leaving goose bumps in its wake. His mouth never left my skin, kissing, licking, and nibbling across my shoulders and neck. My head fell back and I moaned unintentionally as his fingers trailed underneath the bottom of my bra.

"This isn't fair." I whined, and I felt his mouth smile against my skin.

"Do you really want me to stop?" He asked, as he pulled back just enough to look me in the eyes. I opened my mouth to answer just as his fingers flicked across my nipple, sending chills down my spine. I gasped and arched my back slightly as I shook my head no. He took the opportunity to capture my mouth with his own again. He kissed me slower this time, sucking lightly on my tongue and bottom lip.

I groaned and pulled away from him again, focusing on my resolve long enough to plant my hands against his chest and push him away.

"Can we do this later?" I asked as I started gathering my books up again.

Draco sighed loudly but didn't push the matter further. "No, we can't. It's already late, and we have school in the morning." He paused for a second to smirk at me. "We _can _do it tomorrow, though, and we will."

I smiled at him and let him take some of my books for me. He was right, it was late. I hadn't studied as much as I had planned too, but that was okay, I'd take the trade any day.

"So…" Draco began as we walked down the corridor outside the library. "Are you taking the train home?"

I looked up at him curiously. The only reason students didn't take the train home was if their parents set up some other means of transpiration. Surely he knew better than to think my parents would do that- that they would even know how if they wanted to. "Of course, how else would I get home?"

He chuckled softly before answering. "You're right… guess I forgot about that. I normally don't, but I will if you are."

I smiled to myself. I knew that his dad normally sent over a portkey back to the manor, and I had secretly been disappointed that we would miss out on that time together. Suddenly it seemed like everything was on fast-forward. We didn't have much time left with things being normal. After Christmas, things could potentially be very different for us- and probably not for the better. I wasn't going to say anything, though; I didn't want to make him feel anymore like he was having to choose between me and his family- his life.

"You're happy." He mused, looking down at me as we walked up the stairs.

"Yes, I am. Is that a crime?"

"No, just nice to know. " He said, smiling smugly.

The next morning things went the way they always did- I sat with Ginny at breakfast, and everyone else pretty much pretended I wasn't there. Draco caught my eye and smiled at me a couple of times, and Silas and Blaise made kissy faces at us as we passed them on our way out the door.

I stopped by the bathroom on my way to class; I knew it would probably make me late, but it couldn't be helped. I ran in and out as quickly as I could- so quickly that I ran right into the person coming through the door as I was on my way.

I glanced up just long enough to see that it was Pansy Parkinson, muttered 'Sorry' and tried to push past her as smoothly as possible.

"Not so fast, little mudblood." She said, her voice sounding so sweet that it made me incredibly nervous.

"We need to talk." She smiled at me, her face too close to mine for comfort, and held her arms across the door frame so that I couldn't get past her.

I took a deep breath and looked her square in the eye- this was ridiculous, I would not be intimidated by her. "Alright, Parkinson, let me guess: You're mad at me because I've stolen your part in the play- I'm saying all your lines, and most importantly- I took your leading man. Am I getting close?" I asked, a look of mock concern crossing my face.

"Funny, Granger, very funny." She responded, looking at me through narrowed eyes. "I just wanted to make sure you understand a few things. Draco doesn't love you. Sure, he's telling you that- of course he is. Do you honestly believe he hasn't said the same things to me? To half the girls in Slytherin? Do you really think you are the first girl he's looked at like that… touched like that… made those promises to?" She looked me over one last time before continuing "Just know that I'm not giving up. You aren't getting off as easily as you think you are. Don't forget that."

With one last glare, Pansy turned on her heel and was gone.

Great, now I was late for class and in a bad mood. Stupid Pansy. I tried to shake the thoughts from my head- worrying about her was the last thing I needed to do. I didn't actually believe the things she had said- still, it was annoying.

I got to class as quickly as I could, smiled apologetically as I walked in, and eased into my seat next to Draco. He eyed me suspiciously when he saw the look on my face. I slid the piece of parchment out from under his hand and grabbed a pen from my bag.

Quickly, I wrote "It's nothing. Ran into Pansy in the bathroom. She's annoying…. Your taste has definitely improved."

I hoped being lighthearted about it would make him see that it wasn't anything big- nothing to worry about- definitely not worth sending death eaters after her over.

I saw his mouth curve up in a smirk, but his eyes tightened slightly as he wrote back "She has never been my taste- you are right, she is annoying. It better be nothing; Pansy knows better."

I rolled my eyes and then smiled at him before turning my full attention to the front of the room.

The rest of the day passed without incident…no one cornered me in a bathroom or yanked me into a corridor to make threats on my life, so my mood had improved by quite a bit.

I was bunkered down at my table, once again surrounded by books when Draco walked in the library.

"Hello." He said simply, a playful grinning playing across his mouth.

"Hi." I said, suspiciously, wondering what he was so amused about.

"What you doing?" He eyed my books meaningfully, and my suspicion increased- what I was doing was more than a little obvious.

"Studying!" I said it with false enthusiasm and smiled at him broadly.

"What _should _you be doing?" He asked, and somehow I felt like I was being led in a circle- like he had planned this conversation perfectly to suit his needs.

I rolled my eyes and shrugged at him, smiling. "I have no idea," I said, "Educate me, Draco, what _should _I be doing?"

He leaned in very close to me, so that his lips were right at my ear. "You _should _be shagging your boyfriend." He flicked his tongue across my ear lobe and I shivered.

I turned so that I could look at him and couldn't help but giggle. He looked so serious.

"I'm not joking." He said plainly, causing me to laugh louder. Some very-stressed looking first years at the next table shot me a dirty look.

I kissed him lightly on the lips and said "We're in the library."

"That's what you said last night." He reminded me "You are going to give me a complex. Am I so terrible at it that you feel the need to hide out in the library forever?"

I narrowed my eyes at him, certain that he had to be kidding. He didn't look like he was. "Get my books." I said as I stood up and slid my chair under the table. He all but raced me out of the library.

"You are being ridiculous." I said as I walked towards him, pushing him against the wall outside the library.

I kissed him firmly on the lips and pressed my body against his. "I would much rather study you," I said, running my hand down his chest "Than my books… but I will not, no matter how many times you ask, shag you in the library."

He chuckled as he took my hand and led me down the hallway. I wasn't sure where we were going until we started going down the stone steps at the back of the castle.

"Where are we going?" I asked, quietly. For some reason, the darkness of the stairwell made me want to whisper.

"To my room." He said easily, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

"But-" I started, unsure of what I was going to say even as I spoke.

"But nothing." He said, interrupting me. "You've been down here before- in the common room at least. We can stop there if you really want, but it's only fair that I warn you- you may not want an audience." He flashed a grin at me and I couldn't help but smile back. He was in a good mood, and that made me happy. Things had been kind of tense sense the letter from his dad.

Draco stepped through the portrait hole, pulling me behind him.

A few murmurs went through the common room as we walked in, but most people tried to act like they weren't staring at us. Silas, however, looked up and smiled.

"Hey Hermione, what's up Malfoy- finally decide to share your girlfriend with us?"

Draco glared at him and Silas laughed. "I didn't mean like _that_, good to know where your head's at though."

Draco led me across the room and sat down on the arm of the couch Blaise and Silas were sitting on with some girl I didn't recognize. I stood at Draco's side awkwardly for a few seconds before he pulled me down and perched me on his lap.

"Finally decided to grace us with your presence?" Blaise asked teasingly, barely taking his eyes off the girl sitting beside him. I looked at him curiously…. I had seen his girlfriend, and that wasn't her.

"Briefly" Draco said, squeezing his arms more tightly around my waist. "Hermione's been wanting to see my room… this was just a stop along the way."

Silas grinned knowingly and looked up at me suspiciously "I can save you the trip- his room is just like yours, Hermione, the sheets are just a different color." He smirked at me and Draco glared at him.

"She isn't good with visualizing things, but thanks anyway." He said, a slight smile on his face. I blushed as he stood us both up and moved towards the staircase.

He led me up the stairs quickly, but I was pretty sure I heard someone call "Have fun" after us.

We were barely in the room when Draco's mouth was on mine, eagerly parting my lips . He gripped his arm tightly around my waist and slid his fingers underneath the hem of my skirt.

I giggled around his mouth and leaned against the door, knotting my fingers in his hair. I nibbled on his bottom lip and smiled to myself as he groaned into my mouth. He pulled me away from the door and pushed me toward his bed.

"In a hurry?" I asked teasingly as he laid me across his bed.

"You have no idea." He replied, smirking at me with a look in his eye that I had come to recognize.

I gripped my hands on either side of his waist and pulled myself up towards him, kissing him along the corner of his mouth. I pushed my hands up slowly, pulling his shirt up with them.

He moaned softly and pulled away from me to pull his shirt up over his head. Taking his lead, I pulled my own shirt off and tossed it to the floor, then reached behind me to unfasten my bra. He watched me carefully, with an intense look in his eye. As soon as my bra was off and thrown on top of my shirt, his mouth came down around one of my taught nipples and he lowered us down on the bed. I moaned as his sucked gently, rolling his tongue over the sensitive tip.

I closed my eyes and allowed my head to fall back as he continued to kiss and suck on my breasts. He made a trail along the middle of my chest down to my stomach with his tongue. I planted both of my hands beside me on the bed and leaned back, giving him better access. His tongue dipped into my naval and I felt the wetness between my legs increase. I squirmed against him as he pulled back to look at me.

I sat up slightly and he kissed me once before murmuring "You are so beautiful" in my ear. I felt his hands on the waist band of my pants, and lifted myself up off the bed enough for him to ease them off of me. I didn't realize he was taking my knickers with them until I felt the chill from the air against my skin.

Draco unfastened his pants and I pulled myself up to the head of his bed, watching him as he undressed. Once his clothes were lying on the floor, he got on the bed and hovered above me. He kissed me along my neck, trailing feathery kisses all along my shoulder, neck, and ears. He licked me along my jaw line, sucking lightly on my skin before kissing me on the mouth. I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck and pulled him down closer to me, so that his body was pressed firmly against mine.

I could feel his hardness pressing against my stomach and I wiggled beneath him, smiling against his mouth as he groaned softly. Draco ran his hands along the middle of chest, down my stomach, stopping at my hip.

He spread my legs with his knee and pressed the palm of his hand firmly between my legs. I inhaled sharply and arched my back, pushing my body closer against him as his fingers spread my wet folds and he pushed one finger swiftly inside of me. Draco swirled his finger slowly against my inner walls and I bit my lip and moaned softly.

Draco bent my legs at the knees and spread them further apart. The cool air from the room sent a shiver down my spine and I suddenly felt very vulnerable. Draco removed his finger and I whimpered softly. He held my folds open, and bent down, blowing lightly across my sensitive flesh. He re-inserted his finger and flicked his thumb across my clit. I bucked against his hand and moaned.

"Draco…" I whined impatiently as he pushed his finger into me infuriatingly slowly.

"In a hurry?" He asked teasingly, smirking up at me.

I glared back as he started laying a trail of kissed from my inner thigh up my body, finally stopping at my mouth. He kissed me slowly at first, massaging my tongue with his own. He cupped one hand around my cheek and ran his other lightly up and down my side.

I could feel him position himself against my entrance and I kissing him back more urgently, pressing my lips firmly against his. He pushed himself into me with one thrust and I bit down on his lip causing him to groan.

Draco pushed the hair out of my eyes and looked down at me as he thrust slowly in and out of me. I felt so vulnerable, him looking me straight in the eyes like that, but I couldn't take my eyes off of him. I was completely transfixed on his dark grey eyes looking down at me.

He lowered his head down towards mine and laid light kisses along my fore head and face, barely grazing my skin with his lips. I tilted my chin up and caught his lips with my own, holding myself tightly to him as he pulled himself slowly out of me and pushed back into me again.

I could feel his tight muscles tensing against my body and my sensitive nipples were grazing lightly across his skin. I kept expecting him to speed up his rhythm, but he didn't. He continued at his infuriatingly slow pace, causing my body to say coiled up tightly.

I moaned his name through my teeth… more a plea than anything else.

He pushed himself into me completely and then stopped moving. He leaned down and whispered in my ear, "Yes?"

"Please" I begged softly. I could feel the blood coursing through my veins all over my body and there was a knot tangled in my stomach that kept tightening each time his skin brushed across mine.

"Hmmm" He murmured against my skin, trailing his nose down my neck, still all but motionless from the waist down. I could feel him inside of me, his hard flesh pressing against my inner walls- buried in me to the hilt, not moving an inch.

I closed my eyes and arched my back, trying to create as much friction between us as I could. He chuckled lightly and brought his lips down around my left nipple causing me to moan out loud. He swirled his tongue around my sensitive peak as he tweaked my other nipple with his fingers- pinching and twisting it between his finger and thumb.

I moaned and writhed beneath him, bucking my hips against him as much as I could with his weight pressing down against me.

Without any warning, Draco pulled out swiftly and thrust back into me with much more force than I was used to. I moaned in relief and matched his thrusts with me own, bucking my hips against his until finally, I felt my muscles tighten and my heart begin to race. Tiny electric shocks ran over my skin. I threw my head back and moaned Draco's name as my orgasm over took me, shaking my body and blinding my vision.

Draco continued to pound into me as I rode out of my climax, and a few thrusts later he groaned loudly and I felt the liquid warmth fill me as he collapsed on top of me.

We both lay there for several minutes, trying to catch our breath. I could feel the heat radiating off of both our bodies.

I pressed my lips against Draco's jaw and for the first time noticed how sweaty we both were. I giggled as I realized that anyone that walked in the room would know _exactly _what had happened in here. Then, remembering that Blaise and Silas already knew, I felt the blush run up my cheeks.

"What's funny?" Draco muttered, not bothering to open his eyes.

I shook my head and whispered "Nothing". I tried to bury my head in the crook of his neck, not wanting him to see that I was embarrassed about something, but he caught my chin in his hand and pulled my face up so that he could look at me.

"I'm insulted, Hermione. What about that was funny?" He asked, his tone completely serious.

I rolled my eyes "That was many things, but funny was not one of them." I assured him. "I was just experiencing some delayed-reaction embarrassment." I explained, shrugging.

He rolled off of me and propped himself up on his elbow to look at me. I suddenly felt the need to put something on; instead, I settled for wriggling beneath the blanket that was thrown across his bed.

"Embarrassment?" He asked, surprise evident in his voice.

I looked at him pointedly and nodded. "Silas and Blaise… you all but told them exactly what we were doing up here. They've probably been listening at the door." I said in horror as I considered the possibility.

He laughed at the look on my face and said, "They're just jealous."

"Oh, of course" I said sarcastically, "That's what you said when I told you everyone was staring at us that first day they saw us together."

"That's true." He admitted, the laughter still in his voice, "But this time they're jealous of me… because they know I'm shagging you."

He kissed me on my lips, lightly at first, and then he pressed closer to me, winding his arm around my waist. I felt the familiar stirring in my stomach and parted my lips just enough for his tongue to overtake my own.

I turned on my side, facing him and pressed myself against him, placing my arm firmly behind his back.

'Here we go again' I thought to myself, and a smile crossed my lips.


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: Fact 1:** Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling

**Fact 2:** I am not her.

**Conclusion:** It isn't mine

* * *

**A/N: **Yep, its me... the great procrastinating story author. You all probably hate me by now for taking so long, and I don't blame you. I don't plan for it to take as long to get the next one up, and I have already started on it, so there is hope! But, here it is- a new chapter. I will warn you before hand that it it's kind of an "in between" chapter, I know that sometimes they aren't much fun, but they are often necessary. So, enjoy! And... review if the urge so strikes you :)

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I woke up with a start, unsure of what worry was weighing so heavily on my mind. I was dreading something; I just couldn't place what it was.

My alarm clock started blaring and just before my hand came down on the snooze button, it hit me. Christmas vacation. Leaving Hogwarts. Being away from Draco. Going to Draco Mansion. I groaned loudly and yanked the covers back over my head. I could not think of one single reason to get up.

And yet, I didn't have a choice.

I forced myself up off the bed and drug myself to the shower. I took my time, allowing the hot water to sooth my tight muscles. Even so, I was out, dressed, completely packed and had my bed made and my room straightened with a good thirty minutes to spare before the time Draco had said he would meet me.

I grabbed a book that was balanced on the top of my bag and tried to pass some time, but I couldn't concentrate. I looked at the clock, hopefully, but only a few minutes had passed. Oh well, I couldn't sit there any longer.

I took one last thorough look around my room, making sure everything was packed and ready to go. Only my school books, uniforms, and a few other random items remained- nothing I would need over the break.

I shut my door behind me and went out into the common room, which was completely deserted. It was still early, a lot of people had already left, and very few of the ones that stayed would eat breakfast before getting on the train, so they were sleeping in.

I stepped through the large entry into the corridor, figuring I would wonder down to the dungeons to meet Draco. I knew better than to think someone might actually let me in, even if someone was coming or going, but I could wait for him in the hallway just as easily as he could wait for me, and at least the long walk through the castle would kill some time.

My planning turned out to be in vain, though, because when I stepped out of the common room doorway, there was Draco, leaning casually against the wall.

I flung myself on him without even thinking about it and secured my arms tightly around his neck.

"What's wrong?" He asked, chuckling as he stepped back to look at my face.

"Why do you think something is wrong?" I countered, pulling away from him and taking his hand in mine.

"Normally you aren't the type to throw yourself on a man, but when something has upset you that changes pretty quickly." He said, smiling at me as we walked down the corridor toward the staircase.

I couldn't help but smile back, he was right.

"Nothing happened." I said, truthfully. "I promise." I said when I caught the skeptical look on his face. "I just woke up too early and I had already done most of my packing so I didn't have enough to do- too much time to think." I explained.

"I understand that pretty easily." He said, nodding. "You didn't wonder why I was waiting on you almost a half hour early?"

"Well, no." I said, considering it for the first time. "I should have been, I guess, I was just happy to see you, the waiting for something to do was driving me crazy."

The hallways were deserted, and the dining hall was no different. It was early for breakfast, even not taking into consideration that it was the last day before Christmas vacation.

"Think the entire castle will collapse around us if we sit together?" Draco asked, a smirk playing across his face.

I followed him across the room and sat down beside him. We both sat there hesitantly for a moment, and then laughed at ourselves.

"Nothing happened." I said, grinning. "Why are we sitting at Hufflepuff, table, though?"

"Neutral territory" He shrugged, "I doubt anyone from Hufflepuff will be up anytime soon, and besides, it's Hufflepuff; they probably wouldn't even notice."

I rolled my eyes at him but didn't argue. Plates of food had appeared before us and although I hadn't realized it earlier, I was hungry.

------

"Draco" I said hesitantly, finally gathering up the nerve to bring this up. The train had just pulled out, taking us back to Station 9 ¾.

"Yes, Hermione?" His voice was full of mock-seriousness and he looked down at me with a matching expression.

"I'm nervous." I said, biting my lip, embarrassed.

"I know." He said, simply, all humor gone from his voice. "I promise you, though, nothing will happen to you. I won't let it." He brushed his finger lightly across my jaw and offered me a weak smile.

"Right. Yeah… I know that. It's just that- I'm worried, not knowing what to expect. How am I supposed to sit through Christmas with my family when I'm constantly worried about you, and me… and us?" That was what I was really getting to. He knew I was nervous about the thing with the Death Eaters- of course he did- how could I not be? What he didn't know was that I was afraid spending time with his dad, in his house, with his old life would convince him that being with me was a huge mistake. That he would become the old Draco again… the one that hated not only me, but everything I stood for.

"I know it's hard, but _try _to enjoy yourself, at least a little. You should be happy to see your parents- I know you've missed them, and in a few days you will be back with me and we will get this whole mess fixed for good."

I took a deep breath and bit down a little too hard on my lip. I knew I had to get this over with, he wasn't going to guess what I was thinking, he wasn't that intuitive, and I was never going to relax until I had said something.

"And you're sure that… even after being at home, with your mom- and your dad- that you will still….?" I trailed off, unsure of how to continue. It hurt to even think about it, much less say it out loud.

"Still what, Hermione?" He shifted on the seat so that he was turned sideways, facing me, and pulled both my hands into his lap.

"Want to be with me?" My voice was barely above a whisper, and my eyes instantly dropped away from his face. Then, he dropped my hands from his and caught my chin with his thumb and pulled it up, even with his own face.

"You're asking me if I will still want to be with you?" His voice was careful… controlled.

I nodded mutely and mentally begged him to laugh, to tell me how ridiculous I was being… that he loved me and no amount of brainwashing from his family could change that.

He didn't laugh, but he did shake his head. He closed his eyes and bowed his head slightly.

"Hermione Granger, I never thought it would come to this." He said, looking at me incredulously.

"Come to what?"

"Me calling you daft."

My brow furrowed in surprise, that hadn't been what I was expecting and I was a little insulted.

"I thought we had been over this." He began "My father's opinions mean less than nothing to me. I am going into this holiday with only one goal in mind- coming out the other side of it with you perfectly unharmed. If, by some miracle, you still care about me once you've seen my life first hand, then I will be the happiest man in the world, but for you to think _I_ won't care about _you_- that's absurd."

I smiled at him and kissed him lightly on the lips. When I pulled away from him he pulled me back and secured my body against his with one of his strong arms. He prodded my mouth open with his tongue, but I pushed him away firmly.

He looked at me like a spoiled child whose favorite toy had been taken away.

"We're on the train, Draco."

"Train… library, you are such a prude." He rolled his eyes and raked a hand through his hair.

------

Saying goodbye to Draco had been harder than I liked to admit to myself. Part of me knew it was pathetic to be so dependent on a boy, but the other part of my brain always stepped in to take up for me. To remind that other half that I had been through a lot, and not only had Draco been there for me, but he had been the _only _one. Without him, I was sure I would have a white padded cell of my very own by now.

My parents were thrilled to see me, asking all kinds of questions about school and my friends. I lied my way through most of it- school was good, my (imaginary) friends were great.

"Hey…. mom?" I called through the house the next morning, looking for any sign of my parents. I couldn't imagine where they would be this early, but there was no noise coming from anywhere.

_Oops, _I thought as I glanced at a clock. It wasn't so early after all- almost eleven.

I wondered into the kitchen and found a note, written in my dad's messy scrawl.

Mione,

Your mother and I have gone out for some last minute Christmas shopping, we should be back this afternoon, but I have my cell with me if you need us. There is a letter on the table that came to you by owl this morning.

Love, Dad

I walked over to the table and picked up the piece of thick, folded parchment. I leaned against the wall and began reading.

H,

I hope you made it home safely, I've been thinking about you. Being here hasn't made me hate you yet, but I'll keep you posted. I am joking, of course. Please don't be worried. We will get through this.

I have been instructed to write and tell you to be at the Train Station at 8 am on the 26th. I will be there to meet you. I'm not sure how long we will be here before going back to school, so I can't tell you what to bring with you.

I wish I could tell you more, but I don't know anything. Neither of my parents is here; mom is on holiday and dad is on "business".

See you soon,

D

I sighed heavily and slumped against the wall. In three days time I would be in Malfoy Manner. I couldn't let myself think about that. I had to get through Christmas with my family without falling apart.

Actually, now that I thought about it, now would be a good time for me to do some Christmas shopping, as well. I had been worried that I wouldn't have an opportunity to go without my parents, and with everything else going on I had put shopping off until I had run out of time.

I got ready in a rush, and left, tucking Draco's letter in my purse and leaving my parents a note on the backside of theirs.

Once I was in Diagon Alley, I felt more normal. It was always a little awkward going home for holidays. I felt like I was hiding who I was. My parents never made me feel out of place for being a witch, but still, being in a muggle home where the only magical thing was me, I just never felt quiet as "at home" as I used to.

I shopped around for a while, going in and out of shops, trying to find something for my mom, dad, and Draco. I enjoyed getting magical knick-knacks for my parents because they always loved getting them. Even the simplest of magic was amazing to them.

I struck gold when I found a dental instrument that worked almost like metal detector- lighting up when a tooth had a cavity and returning the tooth to perfect condition with the push of a button. I wasn't sure if my parents would actually use it on their patients, but either way, I knew they would both love having a new toy. I purchased two, and felt much better, having all but one of my purchases made so quickly.

After a couple of hours, though, I was beginning to get discouraged. I still hadn't bought Draco anything and hadn't found anything that seemed even remotely right for him. I was about to just give up and put it off yet again, when in a last ditch effort I went into a small shop that didn't seem to have a name. The floor of the entire store was filled with pale, purple smoke and there were strands of crystal floating all around. This was probably the last place I would find anything for Draco, but I wondered through the store anyway.

I was studying a very intricately decorated mirror that claimed to show whomever looked in it a more beautiful version of themselves, and tell them exactly what to do to make that reflection a reality, when a low, raspy voice caught me off guard.

"Of course, the spell as to be activated, but I assure you- it does work."

I spun around quickly and found myself face to face with a woman a few inches taller than me with olive skin, and large violet colored eyes. Her thick black hair was spun into dozens of tiny braids and piled high on her head, with strands falling all around her face, and she was dressed in a long, flowing gold gown.

"I'm sorry… I didn't know anyone, was umm…" I couldn't get the words out. For some reason, she made me feel very insecure.

The woman stuck her hand out for me to shake, and to my surprise, smiled at me.

"I'm Calliope. This is my store." She motioned around the shop gracefully and her smile broadened, making her look even more beautiful than she had before, and less threatening. "Are you interested in buying the mirror?"

I looked down and saw that I was still holding the mirror, and quickly sat it back down on the table.

"No, I was just looking at it. It's very beautiful, just not what I'm looking for." Somehow, I couldn't see Draco appreciating a gift that presumed his looks weren't perfect just the way they were.

"Is there something I can help you find?" She asked helpfully, still smiling.

"Actually, I was looking for something for my boyfriend. I've been looking all day and haven't really seen anything I think he would like." I said, shrugging. I was sure she wouldn't have anything either, but it couldn't hurt to ask… it was the day before Christmas Eve, and I was desperate.

"Ahh, a boyfriend, I should have known." She winked at me, and I found myself wondering if somehow, she had known why I was there all along.

"Tell me," She continued, walking through the store, weaving in and out of items so that I had to watch my step carefully, "What is he like?" She finally came to a long glass counter containing various items and leaned against it, turning to look at me.

"He's … I don't know … he's really smart, and stubborn." I smiled and felt the color rush to my cheeks as I thought about him. "Somehow, he knows exactly who I am, and he seems to love me anyway. He's protective and loyal, and thoughtful. But, he's funny, too. He doesn't usually _mean _to be funny, but he is." I shrugged and laughed softly as I looked up at her.

"It isn't easy describing someone you love." She said, and her voice sounded very knowing… very wise.

I shook my head and blushed again.

"You think about him often?" She asked, but there wasn't much question in her voice. She knew the answer.

I nodded and she began wondering through the shop once again, with purpose, like she knew exactly where she was going. I followed behind her, my eyes on my feet.

She didn't speak again until she got to a triangular shaped shelf nestled in the back corner. She stood on her tip-toes to reach up to the very top shelf, and pulled a long, black box down.

She held it out to me and said confidently, "This. This is your gift."

I looked at her cautiously, and she nodded at me, motioning for me to take the box. I held my hands out and she placed it in them. The box was heavier than I expected, and I was suddenly very nervous about dropping it.

"Sit" She said, motioning behind her to a small table and chairs I hadn't seen before.

I did as she said and sat the black box in front of me. I looked up at her again, and she nodded at me, so I lifted the heavy lid and looked inside.

The inside of the box was covered with white velvet, and inside lay two charcoal colored objects. They were shaped like diamonds- very large diamonds. I picked one up and was surprised by how light it was; most of the weight must have been in the box itself. I looked up at Calliope curiously.

"They are Thought Spinners," She said, as if I should know exactly what that meant. When I didn't say anything, she continued. "They must be acclimated to you and your partner, and once they are, they will spin like tops whenever your partner is thinking of you- or you of him."

I nodded slowly and smiled. "So, we each take one?" I asked, making sure I understood.

"Yes" She said, smiling "It is a very simple spell to acclimate one to each of you." As she said this, she lifted the velvet off the bottom of the box and pulled out a small piece of parchment with a paragraph of instructions on it. "I would gladly do it for you, but you must both be present, and that would ruin your surprise."

"I'll take them." I said, smiling back at her.

------

Christmas Eve and Christmas day passed pretty uneventfully. My parents loved their gifts and spent hours going over each others, and my, teeth, fixing any problems the instrument detected. I got several books, some new clothes, a watch, and a feathered quill with ink that changed color to match my mood.

If my parents ever noticed that I wasn't quiet myself, they never mentioned it, and I did manage to enjoy myself. But then, before I was ready, it was Christmas night and I was out of time to prepare myself for what was coming.

"You've only been here for such a short time." My mom said, sadly, before we all headed to bed.

"I know. I wish I could stay longer, but I just have so much stuff to do at school." I said, feeling much guiltier than they realized. I hated lying to them, but I was pretty sure the truth was more than they could handle.

I kissed both my parents goodnight and went up to my room to get my stuff ready. I packed all of my new clothes, and the ones I had brought with me, refusing to go to Malfoy Manner any less prepared than I possibly could be. I packed my other new things, knowing I wouldn't come back home before heading to Hogwarts after Christmas Vacation, and flung myself across my bed, dreading the morning.

I felt like I had only just fallen asleep when I felt someone shaking me awake. I groaned and rolled over, desperate for more sleep, and then I heard my mother's voice in my ear.

"Hermione, sweetheart, wake up." She was crying, and her voice sounded pitiful. I shot up in bed and turned to look at her, still half asleep.

"What is it, mom?" I asked groggily, barely making her face out in the dark.

"It's your dad; I think he's had a heart attack. The ambulance is on its way. Get up, get dressed." And then she was out the door.

I sat there for a minute, unsure of what to do. This wasn't right… this wasn't part of the plan.

-----

Everything in the hospital was white and clean. The lights were bright and everyone seemed to be miserable and in a hurry. Nothing the doctors were saying made much sense to me, but my mom seemed to understand most of it. Or maybe she was just faking it. Apparently my dad had suffered a mild heart attack but the preliminary tests looked good. He should be able to go home in a few days.

I sunk against the wall, suddenly very tired now that I knew my dad was, in all likelihood, going to be okay. I hadn't realized I had fallen asleep until my mom shook me awake.

"Mione, sweetheart, you should really just go on home. There is nothing you can do here."

I sat up and looked around groggily. The waiting room had one small window but the blinds were pulled tight and the room was lit by a small fluorescent lamp. I couldn't get a hold of what time of day, or night it was, and I couldn't sort out in my mind what day of the week it was, either.

"What time is it?" I asked, yawning wildly.

"Just after nine, you slept for about five hours. I tried to wake you earlier but you wouldn't budge."

"Wait… nine? Like, nine in the morning?" I asked, suddenly panicked.

"Yeah" My mom said confused, and then her eyes widened "Oh no, Hermione, you were supposed to catch the train to school this morning, weren't you? Oh sweetheart, I am so sorry. I completely forgot. I can't believe I let this happen…"

I jumped to my feet and turned a circle, unsure of what to do. Draco had been there to meet me over an hour ago… what would he have done when I wasn't there? What would his dad do when he found out I didn't show up? No matter how I figured it, it never turned out well.

"Mom, I'm sorry. I have to go. Tell dad I love him, that I'm so glad he's okay… I'll call as soon as a can, okay? Or write… or something. I just have to—"I trailed off, because the truth was I didn't have any idea what I had to do.

My mom hugged me tight and stuffed some money in my pocket before sending me on my way down the white, brightly lit hallway. I couldn't remember what direction we had come in from the Emergency Room, so I followed the arrows pointing to the elevator, hoping there would be a map of some type.

Finally, I found a fire map that had all the exits marked, as well as a little star informing me where I was. I studied it carefully, trying to determine the least used exit so I could apparate to the train station, on the off chance that Draco was still there.

Suddenly, there was a soft pop to my right, I turned quickly and there stood Draco, looking around him with a look of utter confusion on his face. Then, he saw me and his face brightened immediately. I looked around, panicked that someone had seen, but we seemed to be alone.

"Hermione! You're okay… you didn't show and I was worried." He said in a rush, standing a couple of inches from me. I stared at him in shock.

"You are okay, right? Is something wrong?" He asked, no doubt because of the expression on my face.

"Yes. No. I'm fine. Just---" I allowed myself to feel relieved for just a second and slumped against him, resting my head against his shoulder.

"I'm sorry." I stuttered, trying to keep myself from crying "It's just that, my dad… he had a heart attack and it was the middle of the night, and I didn't even think about the station and then I woke up and I remembered and my mom sent me and I didn't know where you would be and I was so afraid of what your dad would say and, and… I'm just so glad to see you."

Draco pulled me away from him and studied my face carefully. "Okay" He said slowly, his brow furrowed, "I'm glad to see you too. You're sure your dad is okay?"

I nodded and choked back the sobs that were threatening at the back of my throat.

"Well, _my_ dad will deal. He may not even be home yet, I'm not sure. It doesn't matter really, he's been so absorbed lately that it is unlikely he will even realize we are late. It isn't a big deal."

I nodded again, finally feeling myself calming down. Then it occurred to me….

"How did you know where I was?" I asked, looking up at him skeptically.

"Location spell." He said, simply, shrugging.

"Oh, of course. I didn't even think of that when I was worrying about finding you."

"You have a lot on your mind. But, we probably do need to be going now." He said, checking my reaction as he said it.

"Okay, just one thing first." I replied and wrapped my arms around his waist, pulling his body close against mine. He wrapped his arms around me and squeezed me and then kissed my lightly on the top of the head.

"We're going to be okay."

"I know. I'm just… overwhelmed, I guess."

"Just remember, it will all be over soon, and everything can just go back to normal- to the way is used to be."

Something about that didn't sit quite right with me, but I knew now was not the time and that a muggle hospital was definitely not the place to discuss it.

I pushed the button for the elevator and crossed my fingers behind my back that it would be empty.

"Are you sure these things are safe?" Draco asked cautiously as the metal doors slid open.

"Doesn't really matter." I replied, looked around us to see if anyone was coming. I stuck my foot in the door of the elevator to hold it as a young girl pushed some type of monitor down the hallway to our left. "We aren't going to be in it long" I explained.

I grabbed Draco's hand, pulled him into the elevator quickly and pushed a random button with my other hand.

"What are you-" he tried to protest, but before he could finish the doors closed completely and I apparated us both right into my bedroom.

We didn't land as gracefully as I would have liked, but still, we were there.

Draco looked around my room, not even bothering to get up from the spot in the floor where he landed.

"I just need to change clothes and grab my stuff." I explained, pulling my closet door open and taking the clothes I had hung up on the door the night before down.

"I'm actually glad you are here," I continued "I wasn't sure what to wear… I had this picked out, but I wasn't sure." I held the dark blue jeans and white button down shirt up for him to look at. "I figured simple was best. I don't guess it really matters… since I'll have my robes on anyway, but…."

"That's fine, Hermione. No one will really care what you are wearing." He winked at me and then added "Except maybe me"

I hurried in the bathroom, brushing my teeth and throwing my clothes on quickly. I did the best I could with my hair, but snapped a rubber band on my wrist just in case. I grabbed my things, threw them into my trunk and looked around my room once more.

"I think that's it." I said to Draco, who was now lounging casually on my bed. He sat up and said "In that case-"And shrunk my trunk down until it was no larger than a cell phone and threw it in his pocket.

I slid the black robe over my head and pulled my boots on.

"You ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be" I said, taking a deep breath.

"Alright. Let's go." Draco held his hand out for me to take and apparated us to Malfoy Manner.


	19. Chapter 19

**Fact 1:** Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling

**Fact 2:** I am not her.

**Conclusion:** It isn't mine

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry for any grammar mistakes etc. I didn't read over it a many times as I usually do... but I wanted to just go ahead and get it posted! Hope you enjoy it- please R&R! Thanks :)

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The next thing I knew we were standing in the doorway of what appeared to be a living room. It was huge, over decorated, and looked like it was never used. Exactly what I would have expected.

I gripped Draco's hand probably a little harder than was necessary and bit down on my bottom lip.

I heard the sound of footsteps behind us and turned sharply, more nervous than I wanted to admit, even to myself.

It was an older man with graying hair and a tired expression on his face.

"Young Master Malfoy. We were expecting you sooner." The man stated flatly, his voice holding no sign of interest.

"Something came up." Draco responded easily, shrugging slightly.

"Very well then." Just as the man turned to go, Draco called after him.

"Franklin, Is my father home yet?" He asked, as if it was an afterthought, not at all important.

"No, we just received notice that he is running late as well. He wanted me to tell you he will be here around noon and for you to show Ms. Granger to one of the guest rooms."

I breathed a sigh of relief just knowing that Lucius hadn't been sitting there waiting for us.

"Seems odd." Draco said quietly, as if he were talking to himself.

"What's that?" I turned to face him and crossed my arms across my chest. It was just cold enough in there to be uncomfortable.

"He's never late." He said, shaking his head. Then his expression changed and he smiled down at me. "Good for him, though, gives us a couple of hours to get you settled."

Draco led me up a tall winding staircase and then down a wide hallway.

He pointed out one closed door as the bathroom and I tried to count back at how many doors we had passed before getting to that one, but before I could figure it out he pulled me into the door next to it.

"This can be your room, I guess. If that's okay. We have several, but to be honest- they mainly all look alike, and this one is the closest to my room."

"Works for me." I said, smiling. The room was large, but simple. The walls and carpet were dark grey, the bed was black wrought iron with grey bedding, and the dresser and desk were both black as well. There was a door on one of the walls that I assumed was the closet. To be honest, it was kind of depressing, a little scary, and not the least bit surprising.

Draco took my miniature trunk out of his pocket and sat it on the bed and then pointed his wand at it, putting it back to its proper size.

"How much time do we have?" I asked, realizing I had packed my watch with my other things.

"Couple of hours." Draco said, walking across the room to where I was leaning against the wall beside the door.

He planted his hands on either side of my head and leaned in to kiss me.

I smiled against his lips and put my hand on his shoulders, allowing his mouth to overtake mine.

After a few moments, though, I pushed him away. "We can't do this here." I said, quietly, almost afraid someone could hear me.

He looked at me for a second and then took my hand and said "You're right."

I looked at him in surprise, the last thing I had expected was for him to agree with me, but I didn't have time to protest or ask questions. He was walking, rather quickly down the hall. When we got to the next doorway on the opposite side of the hall, he pressed his hand firmly against the door and it swung open. He pulled me inside and shut the door behind us.

"We'll do it in my room instead."

I giggled and followed him willingly to his bed.

I propped myself up on my elbow and wrapped the sheet tightly under my arms.

"You seem surprisingly happy considering where we are." I remarked, tracing my finger along Draco's top lip.

He smiled at me and raised one of his pale eyebrows. "Having a naked girl in my bed tends to do that to me."

I smacked him in the arm and narrowed my eyes at him "Very funny."

"It wasn't a joke." He replied, laughing.

"Oh, I know it wasn't. In fact, I bet this bed has seen more naked girls than I care to think about." I tried to keep my voice light and joking, but even I could detect the hidden emotion in it. This was a topic I always tried really hard to _not _think about.

Draco kissed my mouth softly, pulling my head toward his. He kissed along my jaw and bit lightly on my ear before whispering "If it makes you feel better… I don't care to think about them either."

I smiled and turned my head so that my lips met his again. He rolled us over and hovered above me, the sheets tangled around both our bodies.

He kissed me again, with more pressure this time. I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck and pulled him down closer to me, so that his body was flush against mine. Draco groaned loudly and pulled his mouth away from mine, only slightly so that our noses were touching.

"We can't do this." He said. I could feel his breath on my skin.

"What? Why? What's wrong?" I stammered, running my hand up and down his back. It felt very odd, and almost ironic that our normal roles had taken on such a reversal.

"My dad. If he got here early and came looking for me…" He started to explain and I nodded. Of course. How had I let myself forget? I knew where I was, but still somehow, I managed to get caught up in the moment and let myself pretend that everything was okay and that we were perfectly free to spend all day in bed.

Draco sat up and pulled me up with him so that we were sitting side by side on his bed. I wrapped my arms around his waist and hugged him, resting my head against his shoulder.

"How are we going to get out of this?" I asked, unable to keep the question out of my mouth anymore. I had been thinking it and avoiding it for too long. It was always the unspoken question with us. We talked around it, discussing everything but it, and the closer we got to it- to where we were right then, right in that very moment- the further we stayed from that one question. The more real it had gotten, the more we had ignored it, pretending- always pretending that we had more time than we had, time to figure it out. I had broken the spell now and there was no going back.

"I don't know yet." Draco said uneasily, and I could tell the question had been at the back of his mind as much as it had been my own. It made me feel just a little better knowing he had the same worries I did, even if that was selfish of me. "I think we just have to wait for them to make their move, otherwise, we would be planning blindly."

I nodded. That made sense. Logically, I knew he was right. Still, my neurotic side wanted to have everything planned out perfectly. And hadn't that worked out for me so well in the past? I had planned my whole life out, written lists, marked days off calendars, had back up plans for everything….. and yet, here was – In Malfoy Manor with someone who had once been my enemy, waiting to discuss the plan Voldermort had for me; my friends hated me, my parents barely knew me--- oh yeah, my parents.

"Hermione….. what is it?" Draco asked, seeing my face fall as my train of thought took me back to the place I had been just a few hours before.

"It's nothing." I said, shaking my head. I even attempted a smile. "I was just thinking… I wish I could be there with my dad."

"Oh… right. Of course you do. I'm sure he's fine, though. You said he was doing well?"

"Yeah, he is. The doctor's all seemed really positive about his condition. I just hate that I'm missing it. My Christmas with them got cut short as it was, and then him being in the hospital…. Just makes an already bad situation worse, ya know?"

Draco nodded and then his face brightened.

"We still have a little while I think… could I cheer you up with presents?"

Somehow, I had forgotten all about my perfect present for him that I had been so happy about before.

"I love presents." I said smiling at him. "Yours is in my trunk, let me run get it." I hopped off the bed, tightening the sheet around me and headed for the door.

I wrapped my hand around the knob and then stopped and turned around. "Wait, is anyone going to see me?" I asked, anxiously.

Draco laughed and shook his head. "No, Hermione. Anyone that is here is downstairs. Besides that, no one that is here would care if they did see you. Now- go get my present!" He winked at me and I ran down the hall and into my room, shutting the door behind me, just in case.

I had to knock at Draco's door, as it apparently only opened for him, but he answered it quickly, having put his pants on while I was gone.

He held a black silk robe out for me as I sat his wrapped gift on the edge of his bed, and I quickly traded my sheet for it.

We sat down on the bed and he picked his present up, looking at me curiously.

"It's heavy." He noted, turning it over in his hands carefully.

I nodded and grinned, knowing he would never guess what it was.

"You want me to open it?" He asked.

"Of course! Why else would I have gotten it? For you to sit it on a shelf and admire the wrapping paper?"

He narrowed his eyes at my sarcasm and slid his finger underneath the silver paper, tearing it away from the heavy box. He looked up at me and then lifted the lid and looked inside.

His brow furrowed and his mouth opened, like he was going to say something and wasn't sure what.

I giggled watching him.

"It's okay if you don't know what they are. I didn't either when I saw them."

He looked relieved and lifted one of the dark colored objects out of the box, studying it carefully.

"Okay, you got me. What are they?" He finally asked

"Thought Spinners." I said smiling. He raised an eyebrow at me, so I explained. "We have to acclimate them to us… there's a paper underneath the cloth that tells us how. After we do that- we each take one, and when I am thinking of you, yours will spin, and vice versa." I explained, suddenly afraid that it was kind of lame. What if he hated them?

My worry seemed to be in vane though. Draco leaned over and kissed me.

"You like them?" I asked, cautiously.

"I think they're perfect. Do you think we should wait, though… about fixing them? I would hate to get half way done and my dad come busting in. With my luck- it would probably mess the spell up and suddenly it would alert me when my dad was thinking of you." He shuddered and I laughed, rolling my eyes.

"Sure, we'll do it tonight." I said and held my hands out, face up, and smiled at him.

"I take that to mean you want yours now?"

"Oh, sure….. if you want." I said coyly, grinning. Actually, I was quite curious. I hadn't seen a gift anywhere in his room.

He pushed his gift over to the side and took my hands in his, his expression suddenly serious. That made me nervous, and my expression shifted quickly to match his.

"I worried over what to get you for quite a while. Of course, all the things I really _wanted _to give you couldn't easily be bought in a store. I wanted to give you the assurance that everything will be okay. I wanted to give you protection- from everything, no matter how big or small. I wish I could give you your friends back." That bit made my eyes begin to tear up. Not just because I did miss my friends so terribly, but because Draco hated them, and still, he wanted them back in my life. "I wish I could take back all the terrible things I've said to you in the past, or the time I missed out not having you in my life because I was such a bloody idiot. So many things I wish I could give to you, and I can't even begin to imagine how to."

He pulled his hand away from mine and wiped a tear off my cheek.

"I feel awful." I said, quietly "I didn't even have a speech."

He laughed and kissed me lightly on the corner of my mouth. "Your gift didn't require a speech."

Draco reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. It was shiny box, and shaped like a perfect cube, with a very thin band of gold around the middle, distinguishing the lid from the bottom of the box. My breath caught in my throat. It was obviously a jewelry box- more specifically- a ring box.

He handed it to me and it felt very heavy in my hand for such a small box. I looked up at him hesitantly, and was surprised to see how calm he looked. I wasn't calm. I wasn't sure what I was- but I was pretty positive no one in the world would have called me calm.

"Open it." He urged.

I took a deep breath and did as he said, lifting the lid and look inside. What I saw took my breath away. It wasn't at all what I expected, but somehow it was exactly what I wanted- even though I really wasn't sure what it was.

It wasn't pretty, not in the classic sense. Most girls probably wouldn't have even liked it. But I loved it.

Nestled in crumpled dark red velvet was a darkened silver ring, a thick band, with a strip down the middle of something that was pale and shimmery, it seemed to be moving, almost like liquid, or maybe smoke.

I pulled the ring out carefully, and turned it in my hand as I studied it. It wasn't a thick band at all, it was actually three thing bands together, the pale one between two of dark silver.

I looked up at Draco curiously, not even sure what question to ask.

He took the ring from my hands and slid it onto the ring finger of my right hand.

"I had it made for you after I read about one very similar. If you ever find yourself in trouble, or need me- for whatever reason- you can turn this middle part." He showed me that the middle band, the pale smoky one, turned between the other two. "And I'll know, I'll know something's wrong and I'll come to you."

I looked up at him, my eyes wide and my mouth open. I was amazed that a ring like this could even exist. I looked back down at it and for the first time saw that his initials were engraved into it, a D on the top band and an M on the bottom.

"I love it, Draco" I said, still staring at the ring. "It's perfect."

"I don't know about perfect, but it may come in handy." He shrugged.

I shook my head and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Seriously, it's perfect. My gift just seems silly now." I said, looking over at the box sitting on the bed beside him.

"You are ridiculous." He said, simply, as if it were a proven fact and stood up beside his bed. "I love them and I can 't wait until we get them animated, or whatever it was you said, but right now, I'm afraid we need to get dressed. My dad will be here any minute."

"Oh, shit!" I exclaimed, jumping off the bed and spinning around, looking for my discarded clothes.

Draco laughed and held my shirt out to me.

I found my bra and underwear at the foot of his bed and pulled my clothes on quickly.

"Should I go wait in the other room… in case he comes looking for us?" I asked nervously, all my anxiety that had temporarily faded because of presents had bubbled back to the surface.

"He won't come." Draco said simply, fastening his belt and sitting down on the bed to pull his shoes on. I sat down beside him to do the same.

"You're sure?" I asked. "You said earlier…"

"I was just kidding about that. He'll send someone, most likely Franklin, who could not care less if you are in my room."

I could tell that, despite the façade he was trying to put on for my sake, he was nervous, too. A life time with his father had taught him not to look forward to his arrival.

I zipped my boots up and placed my hand under Draco's chin, turning his face toward me.

"We're going to be okay." I said, giving him back the line he had been giving to me almost daily.

He put his hand on my cheek and kissed me on the lips, lightly at first, and then with more pressure. There was something in the kiss that made me feel sad, worried in a way.

I pulled away from him and looked at him carefully. There was no mistaking the worry in his eyes.

"Hey," I said, taking his face between my hands "This is just your dad. He isn't going to hurt you… and he isn't going to hurt me. Whatever he tells us, at least we'll know. Knowledge is power, and no matter what kind of knowledge he gives us- we'll be better off than we are now."

I'm glad I had at least one moment of courage and strength, because as soon as Franklin knocked on the door, I felt like my insides had been stripped out with a knife, leaving nothing but my pounding heart and butterflies the size of dragons.

I walked down the long hallway and the spiral staircase thinking only of putting one foot in front of the other and breathing in and out. It took actual effort for me not to grab Draco's hand and hold on for dear life; it felt like I was attracted by a magnet, but I knew how big of a mistake that would be so I clamped my hands together instead. Then, I had an idea.

I turned the band on my right ring finger around two solid times and glanced over at Draco. Behind Franklin's back he winked at me and I felt a little better. At least I knew the ring worked.

We were led into Lucius's study and there he stood, leaning against a large desk. He motioned for us to sit and somehow I managed to walk across the short distance and lower myself into one of the two straight back chairs.

"I assume you have had no problems out of the girl, Draco?" Lucius asked, as if I wasn't even there. I was almost offended, but my mind quickly halted and turned in a completely different direction- my head jerked toward Draco and I prayed that he wouldn't say anything that could get us in trouble.

"There have been no problems." Draco replied, his voice flat.

Lucious only nodded and shifted his gaze to where I was sitting. I forced myself to look at my shoes, until finally he spoke again.

"Very well, then. You will be returning to Hogwarts as soon as possible, as it will be beneficial to the plan if the two of you have time to prepare while the school is all but empty. Your role in this will actually be quite minor, but it is essential. If you mess up the very simple task we are giving to you, the entire plan will fall through and you will be appropriately punished." Lucius paused and looked at Draco and then at me, "both of you. Do you understand?"

I nodded and saw out the corner of my mind that Draco did the same.

"All that is required of you is that you get Dumbledore out of his office and into an empty room. You will decide on a room you feel will work best in the next few days- it needs to be somewhere deserted, where no one will come, but where the girl can get Dumbledore to go with her. You will need to make us aware of the exact location of the room so that we can come there. Draco, you are to make sure she does as she is told and makes no effort to alert Dumbledore or anyone else as to what she is doing. I do not care what she says to get him there, but it must be believable and it must work. Once he is in place, Draco, you will alert me. "

Lucius stopped talking and looked at Draco expectantly. That couldn't be it? All I had to do was convince Dumbledore to come somewhere with me? That was it? After all that worrying about what they would ask me to do, whether I would be capable, if it would kill me in the process… and I just had to get Dumbledore to take a walk with me?

I looked at Draco in confusion and saw the look on his face wasn't very different from me.

"That is all, father?" I could hear the skepticism in his voice.

"That is all." Lucius replied, "We have made this as simple for you as possible, Draco, it would be a huge embarrassment if you were unable to accomplish it."

"Of course." Draco said, and I wondered if his dad could hear the sarcasm in it as easily as I could. If he did he chose not to react.

"You may go. Please let Franklin know when you plan to returned to Hogwarts and he will make the arrangements. I will write you soon to make you aware of the date and time we will be coming. I expect you to make me aware of the location as soon as it is decided." If I hadn't been so terrified of the man standing in front of me, I might have laughed. The way he talked about it, someone would think he was going to let Draco know when he was arriving for tea or for a family dinner- not the complete takeover of an entire school, and probably the murders of several people.

And with that, Lucius turned his back and began flipping through papers on his desk. I looked at Draco and he nodded and stood up. I did the same and followed him out the door, down the hallway, through the living room and back up the stairs- neither of us saying a word until we were safely in his bedroom.

The door had barely managed to close behind me when Draco turned around and picked me up, spinning me in the air. My mind spun ever more quickly than my body did, and I was barely aware of him sitting me back down.

"This is perfect!" He exclaimed as my feet hit the floor.

I looked up at him: eyes wide and mouth open. Sure, it was better than I had expected, but I still didn't know how I was going to get out of it. No matter how easy my part of it seemed, I still couldn't go through with a plan to kill Professor Dumbledore and take over Hogwarts. I wouldn't play Voldermort's puppet no matter how easy the moves seemed. Surely Draco knew that?

"Don't you see… this is better than I had hoped!"

"I don't think I understand." I said carefully and sat on the edge of the bed. He sat down beside me and turned to face me. Taking my hands in his, he looked at me for a moment before speaking.

"Okay, baby, just think about it for a minute." And just like the typical girl I had tried all my life to _not _be, my mind went completely out of focus. I knew what he was saying to me was important, but all I could think about was that he called me baby. To think, Draco Malfoy was holding my hands, calling me baby, and calmly trying to explain something to me. My stomach did a happy little flip and I smiled, despite myself.

"I'm sorry… what did you just say." I asked, grinning at him like an idiot.

He looked at my curiously and then said "We have to find a room, Hermione. A room in Hogwarts. Any room we want… don't you see how this is perfect for us to get out of? We will barely even have to try!"

And just then, as he seemed to know it would, it hit me. "The Room of Requirement!" I said excitedly.

"They won't even know it exists" He said with a smirk.


	20. Chapter 20

**Fact 1:** Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling

**Fact 2:** I am not her.

**Conclusion:** It isn't mine

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**A/N: **Pretty quick update, huh? I'm pretty impressed with myself, lol. I want to take a minute to thank all of you who have added this story to your alert of favorite list, and those of you who have reviewed- not just on the last chapter, but through the entire story. I know I don't always say thank you, but I do _always _appreciate it, and its much easier to get motivated to write the next chapter when I know people _want _me to continue. I also want to say a special thank you to **gwennygrail** because the reviews she left a few days ago made me smile :) Thank you!

So, on a different note- I thought I would let you all know where we are at in the "grand scheme of things" so to speak. In the original outline, I planned for this story to be about 20 Chapters, but as you can see- thats where we are, and I would be hard pressed to wrap it up in 4,000 or so words. SOO... I reworked the outline, and as of now, I figure there will be about 4 more chapters after this one... maybe 5, just depending on how things go. Sometimes, certain aspects of the story take more/less space than I set aside for, and even though this story started out and will end the way I had planned, the middle turned out to be quite different than I had in mind. But, at least you know I do have a plan, right?

Thank you all, again, for reading, and for those that review- thank you twice :)

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"How is he doing?" Draco asked as I sat back down across from him at the Three Broomsticks.

"Good." I replied smiling. "She said all the test results look good and that he should be going home tomorrow morning."

"That's good to hear." He leaned over the table and kissed me lightly on the lips.

"Are we ready to go then?" He asked, already rising from his seat. I nodded and stood with him.

I had wondered how we would get back to the school, as I had only ever arrived at Hogwarts by train. Draco, on the other hand, didn't seem at all surprised to be told we would floo to The Three Broomsticks and then make our way to the castle. Franklin had said someone would be expecting us and would come to let us in as the doors were all closed over the break, and I hoped it would be Hagrid rather than Filch.

That hoping was in vain, I soon learned, as I saw the sunken face of the disgruntled man standing at the door.

"Took you long enough." He complained as he let us in and then he hurried on ahead of us without bothering to wait on a reply.

I looked at Draco who just shrugged with an amused look on his face. He had been the one to insist that we stay at the Three Broomsticks long enough to have drinks. I had simply wanted to duck into the bathroom long enough to call my parents from the cell phone they insisted I keep with me, despite the fact that it stayed untouched in the bottom of my trunk all year.

"Miserable old man." Draco muttered as we walked down the hallway.

"Where are we going?" I asked in surprise when I realized he was going down the stairs instead of up them, toward the Room of Requirement.

"To my room." He said, easily, as if that had been the plan all along.

"But… the Room of Requirement?" I said as a question, pretty sure we had said we would start working on our plan right away.

"I thought we could take a nap first." He replied with a grin.

So, apparently to Draco, 'right away' meant right after we took a nap…knowing him, probably a _naked _nap.

"Can't we go up there first?" I asked, a hint of a whine in my voice. "I will feel so much better once we just go up there and try to get a plan together."

"Fine." He said, his shoulders falling in defeat. "But afterwards, we take a nap."

"Deal." I said with a smile and stood on my tip toes to kiss him lightly on the lips before pulling him reluctantly up the stairs.

Once we got to the third door corridor we knew so well from the beginning part of our relationship- the hidden part, as I liked to think of it, I wasn't sure what to do. We were there… we knew the room was there- or at least that it would be once we required it to be- but I wasn't sure what exactly we needed to require of it.

"So…." Draco said, looking down at me expectantly.

"So… what? I don't know what I'm doing, either."

"But- you… well, then- why did we have to come up here?" He asked, confusion written all over his smooth features.

"It just makes sense." I shrugged. "This way, as we brainstorm, the room is right here. We can try out our ideas as we get them, rather than just hoping they will work, or planning to try later."

He nodded and looked pointedly at the wall where the door would be. I bit my lip and leaned my body against him; his arm went around my waist easily as we stood staring at a seemingly ordinary wall.

After a few minutes, he finally spoke.

"Hermione?"

"Yeah?"

"If we are going to talk this out… shouldn't we actually- I don't know, talk?"

I elbowed him in the ribs and sat down in the floor beside where he stood. He did the same, turning himself so that we were facing one another.

"Well, what I'm thinking is that we just have to reverse the control on them." I started, wanting to make sure we were on the same page. We hadn't talked much about the subject since talking with his father, and I had to admit that it was pretty much my fault. I hadn't realized it before then, with all the adrenaline of everything going on, but I was absolutely exhausted. Having finally known what we were expected to do, and after the relief of realizing we actually _could _get out of it and do the right thing, as long as we played our cards right, I had barely been able to keep my eyes open. We had finally gotten our thought spinners "animated" as Draco called it, on the third try, and after testing them out a couple of times, I had fallen asleep in Draco's bed before we even had a chance to talk.

Draco didn't say anything, so I continued.

"They want us- or, me- to get Dumbledore out of his office and into a room of our choosing- any room, as long as they know its exact location ahead of time. They just want to control the situation, something they know they could never accomplish in his office. It doesn't matter _where, _because in their eyes, he will be like a sitting duck- talking to a trusted student while they burst in and attack."

Draco nodded, his brow furrowed in thought. "So, what is it that we _require_?" He asked, motioning toward the wall with his left hand.

"I'm not sure." I admitted, biting down hard on my bottom lip.

"We need it to protect us, but I'm not sure it can actually do that." I said after a few moments, shrugging.

"Okay." He said, his face still marked with concentration, "What if it didn't protect us- but it hid us? Would that work- if they couldn't see us, but we could see them? That would give _us _the upper hand, and we could warn Dumbledore ahead of time?"

"I don't know." I said honestly "And, unfortunately, we really don't have any way of testing it out."

"Besides," I continued after a pause, "I don't even know that we will be together. Your father said you would have to contact him when we get Dumbledore to the room, but how is he going to want you to do that? What if you aren't able to stay with me? That will certainly change things."

Draco nodded but didn't respond. Even after we had gotten so many answers, we seemed to have no fewer questions.

After sitting in the hallway for around an hour, Draco finally insisted we call it quits and leave before we drove ourselves crazy. It had seemed like it was going to be so simple when we thought about the Room of Requirement. We had a magic room on our side, a room that could be anything we needed it to be- how could it not work? But, what we hadn't thought about was that what the room required of _us_ was detailed instructions. We had to be specific. It would only give us exactly what we asked for, and everything we really needed seemed to be way too much to ask of a vanishing room.

"I just wish we knew exactly how much time we have." I said as we made our way down the stairs.

"Well, school won't even be starting back for over a week. We have at least that long. We'll have it figure out before then. We just need to rest… take a break from it." Draco said, and then he turned in a direction I wasn't expecting.

"Where are we going?" I asked for the second time

"To Gryffindor Tower." He said, as he turned to go up a separate staircase.

"And whatever do you plan on doing up there you naughty Slytherin?" I asked playfully, "An act of vandalism, perhaps?"

"Oh, no." He said earnestly. "Actually, I've been having rather naughty dreams about a particular Gryffindor lately. I was wanting to see if she might let me have a go."

I smacked him on the arm and looked up at him crossly.

"Oh, you want to _have a go_, do you?" I asked, hotly.

He laughed loudly, his shoulders shaking as he looked down at me- my arms crossed over my chest and my lips pursed tightly.

He leaned in and nibbled lightly on my ear, causing me to shudder despite my anger, and whispered "Very, very much."

"Well come on then" I said, turning away from him and continuing down the long corridor. "But- I am not some kind of Ferris Wheel and it will do you well to remember that, Draco Malfoy!"

He chuckled and followed me through the portrait of the fat lady who gave me a long look of disapproval but, to my surprise, said nothing.

"Look at that-we're all alone." He said, smirking at me as he pushed me against the wall and nuzzled my neck.

"Oh, and how surprising, as it's only two days after Christmas." I said, giggling.

He kissed along my neck, sucking and biting lightly at the sensitive flesh, causing me to shiver. He pressed himself closer to me, so that his long lean body was flush against mine, pinning me against the wall.

I wrapped both my arms around his neck and turned my mouth to meet his, kissing him hard on the lips. He groaned into my mouth and plunged his tongue between my lips, which opened easily.

He pulled my feet up off the floor and I quickly wrapped both legs around his waist. I pulled my mouth away from his and gasped for breath. He walked across the room, and finally sat me down beside one of the overstuffed arm chairs. No sooner were my feet on the floor than he was lifting at the hem of my shirt.

"Draco, we can't. Someone could come in… I doubt we are seriously all alone." I protested, but my heart wasn't in it. Even as I said the words, I allowed him to lift the long sleeved Henley shirt over my head. He groaned when he saw that I had a tank top underneath it and reached for it.

I took his hands in mine, pulling them away from my shirt and stood on my tiptoes to kiss him. I pushed both my hands up his sweater and looked up at him through my lashes.

"Please." I said simply as I tried to pull him toward the staircase. "All I'll be able to think about is getting caught."

"Fine" He said, following behind me "But only because I want you _completely _focused."

I giggled as he slapped me lightly on the ass and pulled him into my room , shutting the door behind us.

I pulled my tank top over my head quickly just as Draco's arms wrapped tightly around my waist pulling me to him. I lifted my head up so that my mouth could meet his and kissed him firmly while pulling him backwards to my bed.

I collapsed on the soft mattress when my knees hit the bed and Draco stood in front of me, unzipping his jeans and stepping out of them revealing a pair of black silk boxers. I licked my lips and grinned at him. God, did I love to watch that boy undress. My eyes raked down his body from his wide shoulders, down his perfect chest and toned stomach.

He saw me staring and smirked at me as he walked the few steps separating us. He leaned over me and brought his lips to mine, parting them and plunging his tongue into my mouth. I kissed him back with everything I had- pressing my body against his and wrapping my legs around his waist. One of his hands was at the small of my back, supporting me as I leaned up toward him, while the other was working on the buttons of my jeans. He groaned in frustration as the last one resisted but finally they were all undone and he tugged gently on the waist band. I dropped my legs from his waist and he whipped my jeans off of me so quickly that I squealed in surprise.

Draco grinned down at me and wrapped one of his arms around my waist and pushed me further onto the bed. He then hovered above me, reattaching his mouth to mine and allowing his hands to roam over my body.

He kissed down my neck, sucking 0n my sensitive skin, causing me to shudder. He kissed down my chest and when he reached my bra, unsnapped the center clasp and pushed the two pieces of fabric to the sides, revealing my breasts and hardened nipples. He wrapped his warm lips around one of the sensitive peaks and sucked hard, eliciting a moan from me.

I could feel his hardness against my leg and tried to slide my hand down his body and into his boxers, but he stopped me just as it was inside the elastic. He took my wrist in his hand and held it above my head. With his other hand, he did the same to my other wrist, finally holding both of them in one of his hands, up above my head. Then, the next thing I knew, he muttered something under his breath and removed his hand- yet my wrists remained in place- somehow bound together.

Damn him and his annoying wandless magic.

"No fair." I whined, squirming underneath him. I could feel myself getting wetter, and my knickers were already quite damp.

As if he could read my mind, one of his hands dipped down inside the thin cloth and ran along my moist folds. I bit down on my lip and moaned out loud, spreading my legs further apart.

His soft lips started kissing all along my jaw line and neck, then down to my breasts where he kissed all along the sensitive tips, teasing me. I wiggled underneath him, trying to cause friction between myself and his almost stationary hand, which was making only the slightest movements between my thighs.

Briefly, one of his fingers brushed against my clit, just as he bit down lightly on my nipple. The two actions together caused me to jerk involuntarily and groan in frustration.

"Draaacooo." I whined, drawing his name out into several syllables.

He moaned and pulled his mouth away from my breast "God, you are sexy." He said with his mouth still against my skin.

I shivered and between my ragged breaths, managed to say "Draco, please. Just…please."

He dipped one of his fingers inside me and thrust it in and out a few times before responded, and I bucked against his hand, desperate for some kind of release.

"You promise you'll scream my name?" He asked, coyly, looking up at me.

If I wasn't so damn turned on, I probably would have been angry. He was playing his favorite game- toy with Hermione until she begs for sex. Sometimes I wondered what he enjoyed more- actually shagging me, or hearing me beg him to do it.

I nodded and bit down harder on my lip. He pulled his hand out of my knickers, leaving them much wetter than he had found them, and suddenly my hands were free.

I grabbed for him, desperately reaching for every part of him I could get my hands on. I ran my hand down his chest and stomach and finally to his boxers. I pulled at the elastic band impatiently, but only managed to move it a couple of centimeters. He was not being helpful.

He chuckled at me and then pulled them off himself. His hard erection sprung free and I reached for it, wrapping my hand around the base and tugging gently.

He moaned as his lips crashed into mine and kissed them with bruising force. His hands groped at my breast and then pulled at my knickers. I lifted myself up so that he could pull them off and then gladly spread my legs so he could settle himself between them.

He hooked one of my legs on top of his shoulder and then he was inside me, so quickly that it surprised me. I moaned as he thrust into me the first time, causing the burning sensation spreading all over my body to fully ignite.

Draco pumped into me over and over, pushing in to the hilt and then almost pulling out before slamming in again. I moaned with each thrust and bucked my hips against his. I could feel my walls begin to contract against him and I moaned out loud, knowing my release was finally coming.

He reached between us with one of his hands and pinched my clit hard one time, sending me completely over the edge.

He continued to thrust into me with just as much force, as my walls contracted against him. I scream out his name, just as he had known I would, and threw my head back in ecstasy. Draco groaned and then he came inside me.

I moaned out loud again, as I started to come down from my climax, but before pulling out of me pinched my clit again and started rubbing tiny little circles around it. I cried out, louder than before. It felt like he had set my on fire as he continued to play with the oversensitive and swollen piece of flesh.

I came again harder than the first time and he collapsed on top of me just as I called his name out again.

----------------

I shivered and snuggled further down in the covers, resting my head on Draco's chest.

"I can hear your heart beat." I said, smiling.

"Surprised I have one?" He asked sarcastically. I rolled my eyes, but knew he couldn't see, so I bit him.

"What, ready for round two?" He asked, teasingly.

I shook my head and decided to just let it go. He was impossible to deal with when he got like this, still, I would take playful and incourigable over moody and anxious any day.

My eyes drifted around the room, actually noticing all the things I had gotten used to after seeing them every day. I didn't spend nearly as much time in my room since I had it to myself, and I spent even less since I had been spending all my time with Draco and my friends all hated me. I quickly reminded myself that that wasn't entirely true…. Ginny was still my friend, as much as she could be with me keeping such big secrets lately.

I sighed loudly, not entirely pleased with where my thoughts had taken me and closed my eyes, trying to conjure up something better to think about. Draco shifted underneath me and draped his arm across me.

"What's wrong?" He asked, stifling a yawn.

"Nothing." I said, and propped myself up so that I could see his face. "Why do you think something's wrong?"

He cocked an eyebrow, but didn't bother to open his eyes. "You got quiet and then you heavy sighed." He shrugged, as if he had just offered up undeniable proof.

I settled back down, lying my head against his chest and pulling the cover up to my chin.

"I was just thinking." I said, not entirely sure I wanted to tell him what I was thinking about. He always felt guilty when I talked about Harry and Ron, no matter how many times I swore to him I didn't see our lack of friendship as being at all his fault.

"Do you think that…" I started, and then trailed off, afraid that if I said it out loud I would jinx it.

"Yes…?"

"Do you think that maybe, if after all this is finished, and we actually stop the death eaters from taking over Hogwarts, that Harry and Ron will see that you aren't actually the spawn of Satan and maybe we can be friends again?" I braced myself for his response, hoping that he wouldn't laugh and say it was an absurd idea or get angry that I would even want to be their friend again.

He brushed his hand through my hair and I instantly felt guilty for every thinking those things. Of course he wouldn't laugh at me, or be angry for wanting my friends back. He had been nothing but supportive of me.

"I don't know… but we can keep our fingers crossed."

"And our toes." I replied, smiling, remembering that time in the room of requirement when I had been unable to cross my toes… that seemed like forever ago.

Draco sat up slowly, as not to topple me off of him I assumed, and I shifted myself so that I was lying beside him, propped up on my elbow.

"I'm hungry." He declared, as if he was shocked to feel such a thing.

I smiled and buried my face in the pillow before I started giggling.

"What is so funny about that?" He asked, sounding offended.

I shook my head and finally lifted myself up to look at him, and seeing the look on his face caused me to start laughing again.

"Nothing." I finally managed. "It's nothing… just that, you sounded so shocked. Like you've never been hungry before. I don't know…. And the look on your face. And it's funny because, you're always hungry. Well, I don't mean _always _always, but always after we do--- that." I motioned toward the bed and then collapsed, breathing heavily from my fit of laughter.

"I think you've gone mad." Draco said as he pulled his pants on and started looking around for his shirt.

I shook my head and sat up, wrapping the sheet tightly around me. I scooted over to the edge of the bed and reached down to get my knickers. I shimmied them up my legs and then grabbed my bra off the end of the bed and pulled it on. When I was done I saw that Draco was looking under my bed.

I fell back on the bed laughing again.

"WHAT NOW?" He demanded, standing up and crossing his arms across his chest.

"Nothing, I'm sorry." I said, sitting up.

He still looked angry so I stood up and wrapped my arms around his waist. I kissed him on the chest and his arms reluctantly went around me.

"I'm sorry…. I guess I'm delirious or something." I tilted my head up and puckered my lips at him. He bent down and kissed me lightly.

"Your shirt is in the common room." I said, picking my pants up off the floor and turning my tank top right side out.

"Oh yeah." He said, grinning. "Hope no one found it."

We found our discarded shirts just as we had left them, and while I was extremely relieved, I could have sworn Draco actually looked a little disappointed.

"Food?" I asked, reminding him of where we were headed.

"Oh, right." He said, adjusting his sweater. He ran his fingers through his hair and then reached for my hand.

"We will work on a plan tomorrow, though, right?" I asked as we stepped out of the doorway.

"I'm afraid we don't have much of a choice." He said, and I could hear the worry creeping back into his voice.

* * *

**A/N: **Me again :) I've been thinking about giving the chapters actual names- Not that I don't think "Chapter 20" is lovely, I just think maybe I should be a tad more creative ;) Any ideas for this chapter, or any previous ones would be very greatly appreciated, and quite possibly used. Of course, if you do name a chapter- I will give you credit :)


	21. Chapter 21

**Fact 1:** Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling

**Fact 2:** I am not her.

**Conclusion:** It isn't mine

**A/N: What do we have here? Could it be? Yep... I know.. it's ridiculous that it took this long. I genuinely am sorry, but I hope you enjoy this chapter. The next one is already about half finished, so I'm hoping to have it up relatively quickly. The story WILL be finished... promise! **

Even though we spent most of our time scheming, planning, and worrying, I tried to enjoy the clam before the storm. Despite all of Draco's assurances, I couldn't stop myself from worrying that everything was going to be changed after all of this was over, and I wanted to memorize as much of our time together as possible. Still, our conversations seemed to always lead to the same place.

We were upon the astronomy tower, wrapped up in coats and blankets, enjoying the heat and soft glow of the fire he had conjured.

"You really think that's the best way to go?" He asked, turning my hand around in his own, as if he were studying it.

I nodded, even though it was probably missed in the dark. "I think it gives us the highest chance of it working. I still think the key to this whole operation is the control factor- it's all going to come down the element of surprise; if we can get _that _on our side, we may have a shot."

"But how is Dumbledore going to react? What if he tips them off that he knows, it would blow everything and put _you _in danger."

I squeezed his hand and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. "I love that you are trying to protect me Draco, really, I do, but this has to be about more than just keeping _me_ safe. I don't think you are giving Dumbledore enough credit. We will have to explain all sides to him, obviously, but when we do I really think he will see how important it is for him to act discretely and not send up any red flags. As much as you want me to be safe, I'm just as determined to get you out of this without you having to look over your shoulder for the rest of your life. We need for it to look like we tried to do what we were told, but that it was too late, Dumbledore already knew what was coming."

"Okay." He finally agreed, but I could still hear the reluctance in his voice. He probably still wanted to go with his first plan- buy Polyjuice potion on the black market, make someone drink it to look like me, and send me off to Peru to hide. I had laughed until my sides hurt when he told me, but he hadn't even cracked a smile. As ridiculous as it was, and as desperate as our situation was, my stomach still tightened pleasantly at the knowledge that he was so desperate to keep me safe.

Draco elbowed me, shaking me from my thoughts, and I looked up to see a quizzical look on his face. "Daydreaming again?" He asked, half teasingly. I had always had a tendency to slip into my own train of thought, but it definitely got worse when I was preoccupied.

"Sorry." I mumbled, and was glad he couldn't see the blush rise up on my cheeks. No need for him to know I wasn't actually thinking about Death Eaters or impending doom, but rather his feelings for me.

"When should we go to Dumbledore?" The tone of his voice made me think it wasn't the first time he had asked that question.

"Soon." I said, thinking it over in my mind. "As soon as possible…. As soon as he's back, if he ever left. Does he leave for Christmas, ya think?" I felt Draco shrug against me. "Your dad will be waiting for the room location, I'm sure, and I want to run everything by Dumbledore before we finalize our plan."

I yawned and slumped against his shoulder.

"Alright, let's go in." He pulled me to my feet and pulled the blanket more tightly around me as he put the fire out.

We headed back down the stairs of the tower and toward the center of the castle. He turned back to the left, toward Gryffindor tower, but I hesitated. He turned to look at me and raised one of his pale eyebrows.

"What's wrong?"

"I thought maybe I could sleep in your room tonight?" After each of our two nights in the castle, we had said it was the last one we would sleep together. I knew people were bound to start trickling in any day now, and that we would probably be in big trouble were we caught, but I just couldn't stand the thought of sleeping alone in the big empty castle. It seemed so hallow and cold with so many people missing.

He shook his head in amusement, but then nodded and changed our direction. I shivered as we started the descent down toward the dungeons and he tightened his arm around me.

"Why don't we go back up to your room? It's warmer." He said, starting to turn around, but I shook my head.

"I want to sleep in your bed." I said stubbornly, trying to pull him down to the next step with me.

He looked at me curiously, but gave in. Once we got into the common room, it wasn't so bad. The fire was still burning, and the room was quite warm from being closed up all day. His room was warm as well, and I dropped my blankets on the floor, kicked my shoes under the bed, and climbed in, pulling the soft green cover up to my chin before he had even taken his shoes off. He chuckled at me and I grinned.

"Your bed smells like you." I said, too content to even be embarrassed.

He looked over his shoulder at me from where he was pulling clothes out of his dresser and smiled. "I'm surprised." He said as he threw a t-shirt at me. "I haven't slept in it in a while."

I was eager to get out of my jeans, sweater, and coat, but I waited to change into his t-shirt so that I could watch him change. By now he knew it to be one of my favorite hobbies and to my huge amazement, seemed a little embarrassed to know I was watching him. He smirked at me as he pulled his sweats up over his hips and climbed into bed beside me as I worked to wiggle out of my clothes without getting out of the bed.

Just as we had both gotten settled down into the bed, and he had turned the lights off, there was a tap at the window. We both stayed perfectly still, no doubt hoping it would go away on its own. The second set of "tap, tap, tap", however, got Draco out of bed. He went to the window and let the jet black owl in. It dropped a piece of parchment on the window sill and instantly turned and flew away.

"Nice manners." I said more to myself than anyone, as I knew my voice was muffled in the pillows. I glanced over and saw the thought spinner on his bed side table, spinning slowly. I smiled and watched it spin faster as Draco crawled back in bed quietly, bringing the parchment with him. He laid back and drew me against his side before lighting his wand and unfolding the parchment.

I turned toward him but didn't bother looking at the letter. I _knew _it was from Lucious, but still a small part of me hoped it would be from someone more pleasant….a wedding invitation from an old friend or something, maybe.

Yeah, right.

Draco,

I look forward to seeing you on at 11pm on the third day of January, at a location of your choosing.

LM

I groaned out loud and buried my face in Draco's chest. He put his wand out, tossed it and the parchment on the floor by the bed, and pulled us both down further into the covers.

"We knew it was coming." He reminded me, running his fingers gently through my hair. I just nodded against his chest.

"We knew it was going to be soon." I nodded again. I knew that; of course I knew, but there's a big difference in knowing something is coming _soon_ and actually having a date to write on a calendar.

"Four days." I said quietly. Just four days until January 3rd. "That's the first day back at classes." I said, as soon as it entered my mind. "The train will get here the day before."

"So, I guess we'll hope Dumbledore isn't one for long holidays." He said, hugging me tighter against him.

The same trains of thought ran circles around my mind for hours before I actually fell asleep. My whole life I had prided myself in being able to think of solutions for problems, but I just felt stuck. I kept thinking there had to be a better plan out there, but I couldn't come up with one. It didn't help that we weren't even sure what the Death Eaters were planning to do when they got here… or how they would get here… or how many of them were coming… or how prepared they were for a fight. We knew nothing outside the fact that the goal was to take over Hogwarts, they intended to kill Dumbledore, and they were coming January 3rd. Just enough information to get us killed.

I did eventually fall asleep, though, and slept surprisingly well until I woke up shivering. It didn't take long for me to realize why- Draco was gone. I sat up groggily and looked around his room. There were no windows for me to judge what time of day or night it was, and my head felt heavy and dull… like I had either had way too much sleep, or not nearly enough. I buried myself back in the cover, curling myself in a ball in an effort to keep warm. After a few minutes, though, the door opened and Draco pulled the covers back off my slightly and slid in the bed, pulling me up against him.

"Sorry." He whispered in my hair. "I hoped you wouldn't wake up." I snuggled up against him and hoped he would tell me where he had gone without me having to ask. I still didn't feel quite awake enough for questions.

"Dumbledore's back."

That perked me up, at least a little. I looked up at him expectantly.

"I told him that you and I need to talk to him about something. Hope that's okay, I know you wanted to talk to him first, but I kind of thought we should hurry, and I didn't want to wake you."

I nodded and yawned. "That's fine. What time is it?" I shook my head, trying to shake the sleep out. I still felt like my mind was working at half its normal speed. I sat up and leaned against the headboard, hoping being partially vertical would help me wake up.

"About ten." He sat up beside me. "He has to go out this afternoon, so I told him we would meet him at eleven."

"Well, in that case, I will definitely need a shower." My stomach growled as I climbed out of bed and shivered. "And maybe some food?"

He chuckled and nodded. "I'll try to go find you something to eat. You can take a shower in here." He motioned toward his bathroom as he headed for the door. Just before he got there, though, he turned back and took me by the hand, pulling me toward him. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed me lightly on the lips. "I'm glad you slept well." And then he was out the door.

I took my time in the shower, letting the warm water wake me up. Briefly, I wished I had my own shampoo and soap, but then I realized Draco's smelled like him and that made me smile. I rolled my eyes at myself for being such a girl, but then poured more shampoo in my hand and went about my business.

Draco walked in as I was pulling my jeans on. He had a big tray of food in his hands and set it down on the bed.

"Those elves really love you." He said as I sat down.

I grinned and grabbed a piece of bacon off the tray.

"Apparently they've noticed you haven't been eating enough lately." He gave me a look of reproach.

"I eat plenty." I argued, through a mouthful of eggs.

He chuckled and shook his head. We ate silently for a while, and once I felt like I had sufficiently kept myself from starvation, I got up and traded Draco's t-shirt for the sweater I had worn the day before. I picked up my wand and muttered a spell, pointing it at my clothes. The wrinkles instantly released and the sweater regained its shape.

"So, what are we going to tell him?" Draco asked as I straightened my hair with another flick of my wand.

"I guess everything." I said, sitting on the bed to pull my shoes on. "Unless you can think of a reason that we shouldn't." I stood up and turned to look at him; he was shaking his head.

"Everything is best, I guess." He said, waving the tray of food away. "You ready?"

I nodded and we started off for Dumbledore's office. "Did he seem concerned when you talked to him?" I asked, considering it for the first time.

"Not really concerned… just intrigued, I guess, curious." He shrugged and then smiled. "He did ask how long we had been back at the castle… made it seem like he thought we just wanted to be here together."

I smiled, too, easily picturing the twinkle in Dumbledore's eye as he had asked Draco about us. No doubt, he had been just as surprised as anyone about our new found liking for one another, but was probably more amused about it than most people.

"I hope this works." I said after a while, voicing for the first time the possibility that Dumbledore might not be able to make everything better.

"It has too." The firm set to Draco's jaw made me think he had been thinking about the same possibility. Knowing he shared my concern made me feel worse.

When we got to Dumbledore's office, we were let in immediately, and he was sitting behind his desk waiting for us. He motioned toward two plush arm chairs across from his desk and we both sat down. I wondered if Draco had a million butterflies in his stomach, too. I looked over at him but couldn't tell anything from his expression.

"Miss Granger, how nice to see you. I hope you had a nice Christmas." He greeted me pleasantly. I nodded in response, afraid if I opened my mouth I wouldn't be able to stop talking.

"I understand you and Mr. Malfoy have something you would like to discuss with me, something of _importance_ from what Draco has told me." I nodded again and tried to swallow the lump that had formed in my throat. "Well, I assure you I am here to listen." He smiled calmly again and it occurred to me he probably thought we were wanting to ask for something trivial and personal… permission to eat meals together or something. I waved the thought off quickly though, I hoped Dumbledore knew me better than that.

"Umm, I guess I'll start." Draco said, looking over at me for confirmation. I nodded for a third time, relieved.

And so, he told Dumbledore everything, with me occasionally interjecting things he forgot or adding clarification. Finally, the whole thing was out and Dumbledore, though still calm, was visibly more concerned than he had originally been.

"And you are quite sure they are coming Monday?" He asked, but he seemed to already know the answer before we nodded. Draco leaned across the desk and handed him the letter from the night before.

"Have you given them the location yet?" Dumbledore had barely glanced at the parchment, but I had no doubt he had read every word.

"No, sir. We wanted to talk with you first, see if you thought the Room of Requirement was the best way to go or not." I almost hoped he would offer up a better idea… a plan that I could have more confidence in.

"On the contrary, Miss Granger, I think it will be our best ally."

We discussed each of our options, as few as they were, and went over every aspect of our plan, until finally, we all understood what needed to be done. Draco would owl his father and tell him we had found a room that was rarely used and easily accessible, that Dumbledore would not be suspicious of. Dumbledore would call in the troops (though, of course, he didn't word it quite like that) and have as many people from the Order in the castle as possible, citing different reasons for their visits if anyone were to ask. He would also inform the professors to be on high alert for an invasion for the beginning of the new term, though he said he would not go into detail with those not involved with the order. He seemed quite confident that we could not only stop the attack, but also make it look like I, and Draco especially, had done what we were told, and therefore would not be in any more danger than necessary.

Dumbledore also seemed to know how the Death Eaters planned to enter the castle, and though he wouldn't explain it to us, he didn't seem overly concerned about stopping them quickly. If any of them did make it to the Room or Requirement, they would find Professor Dumbledore waiting to hex them as soon as they walked in the door. None of them were actually capable of killing Dumbledore in a duel; as soon as he knew to expect them they lost any chance they had.

It still seemed to me that any number of things could go wrong, but Dumbledore was confident in his plan, and that made me feel better. He assured me that all students would be confined to common rooms and that they would each be guarded. Draco and I, on the other hand, would be under protections spells of Dumbledore's own doing. He agreed, after Draco's insistence that he would not leave my side, that we would all three stay together long enough for Lucius and his band of not-so-merry men to see that Draco and I had done our parts, after which Dumbledore seemed to have a plan to get us out. Most importantly, at least to me, he also said that if things went wrong and we felt we were in any danger, the order could protect us both. That alone made me breathe a sigh of relief, I had tried to keep my concerns from Draco, but one of the things I worried about most was how we would ever be able to feel safe from his father if we gave Lucius any reason to blame him for the plan's failure. I had known, of course, I would always be able to find protection with the order, but I hadn't been quite so sure of Draco's chances.

"Do you feel better?" Draco asked, wrapping his arm around my waist as we walked through the castle, heading away from Dumbledore's office.

I thought about it before, answering, weighing my still-there concerns against those Dumbledore had eased. But, I realized, all things considered, any of my concerns being eased was an improvement.

"I do. I'm still nervous, but Dumbledore seems to think it will work out, and that makes me feel less scared."

Draco nodded and turned us toward the staircase. "You think he has more in mind that he is telling us?"

"Definitely." I could only imagine what else Dumbledore had up his sleeve, but I was certainly glad he was on my side.

"Hey…" I stopped walking and turned to face Draco, having just remembered something I wanted to ask. "How are you going to get the message to your dad… that everything is ready to go, if you are still with me?"

He had been vague about it, and I had been assuming that when the time came, we would likely have to separate, but he had been adamant about it with Dumbledore, claiming he refused to have any part in a plan that meant he had to leave me. No matter how many warm little bubbles of happiness that had sparked in me, it still made me a little curious.

Draco just shrugged. "I'll send a patronus; I can do that from anywhere."

I nodded, a little embarrassed that a patronus hadn't occurred to me. It seemed so obvious now that he had said it.

"You have a quil?"

I rolled my eyes. "I don't keep school supplies with me _all _the time, Draco."

He smirked in response and turned off at the top of the stairs and led me into the library and over to the reference desk, where there were always quils and small pieces of parchment.

He grabbed a small wrinkled piece of parchment and wrote the basic location of the room of requirement on it messily. He signed it with a simple "D" and folded the paper in half.

I raised an eyebrow at the sloppy letter. "Only the best for dear ole dad." He smiled and I couldn't help but laugh. If it made him feel better to send the directions written in chicken scratch on an old, wrinkled piece of paper, who was I to argue?


End file.
